Indian Energy Storage Industry Calls for Alternative Battery Technologies

Industry experts called for India to expand beyond lithium-ion battery technology to meet the country's renewable energy targets and address supply chain concerns at the India Energy Storage Week 2025 conference in New Delhi today.

The experts emphasized that while lithium-ion batteries have achieved mass adoption in electric vehicles, India needs alternative energy storage technologies to support its goal of 500 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030. They cited concerns about lithium supply limitations and the need for diverse solutions across different applications.

Avishek Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of VFlowTech, stated that alternative energy storage technologies are required to complement lithium-ion batteries for various applications ranging from electric vehicles to renewable energy integration. He highlighted vanadium redox flow batteries as a technology where power and energy are decoupled, allowing for scalable energy requirements from 4 hours to 14 hours while reducing costs.

Vanadium redox flow batteries offer flexible scalability of 4 to 12+ hours, have a lifespan exceeding 25 years, and can achieve 70% localization in India through recycled vanadium and containerized units ranging from 1 to 5 MW. The global market for these batteries was valued at $394.7 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at 19.7% annually through 2030.

William Tope, CEO of LiNa Energy, highlighted sodium-ion batteries as a cost-effective, temperature-resilient alternative for stationary applications. He noted that as renewable generation increases, long-duration energy storage becomes crucial for shifting energy from off-peak to peak periods, which is vital for system strength, energy security, and affordability.

Paul Smith discussed CO₂-based compressed energy air storage as a market-ready solution that scales up to 1 GWh capacity. This technology is entering India through a partnership with NTPC. Gunjan Kapadia, Co-founder and CEO of Sthyr Energy, introduced zinc-air battery technology offering long-duration storage of 10 to 24 hours to support deeper discharge cycles.

Saurav Mitra, Director of Sumitomo SHI FW, presented liquid air energy storage as a thermo-mechanical solution that uses zero critical minerals and has 80% component sourcing available in India. He explained that this technology reduces footprint and enhances energy density while providing stability services similar to traditional thermal power plants.

The India Energy Storage Week 2025 conference was organized by the India Energy Storage Alliance. The event featured over 300 product innovations in electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, solar technology, green hydrogen, batteries, and renewable energy solutions.

India's electric vehicle market has been gaining traction as the country moves toward sustainable transportation. However, concerns about raw material availability for lithium-ion batteries have raised questions about production challenges and potential shortages, driving interest in alternative technologies.

The conference discussions reflected the industry's recognition that India's energy storage future will require diverse technologies to support grid stability, meet industrial loads, and promote clean mobility across different applications and timeframes.