Amara Raja Batteries signed an MoU with the Telangana government to set up a lithium-ion battery gigafactory in the state’s Mahbubnagar district. The final capacity of the Gigafactory will be up to 16 GWh and the battery pack assembly unit will be up to 5 GWh. The company said it aims to invest Rs 9,500 crore in the sector over the next 10 years.
The industrial and automotive battery major said the facility would be a state-of-the-art research and manufacturing facility. Amara Raja will invest Rs 9,500 crore over the next 10 years after necessary approvals.
The announcement was made in the presence of Industries and Commerce Minister KT Rama Rao and other senior officials. Congratulating the company, KT Rama Rao said, “Telangana has been at the forefront of adopting sustainability, and it is a proud moment for the state to welcome the country’s largest ever investment in the lithium-ion cell manufacturing sector. Our The aim is to become the country’s leader. Having the most electrified state in India and a Gigafactory in Telangana further strengthens our aspiration to become an EV manufacturing hub and lead the EV revolution in India.”
The company said the initial facilities will include a first-of-its-kind advanced energy research and innovation center in Hyderabad, called Amara Raja e-Hub. The facility will be equipped with advanced laboratories and testing infrastructure for materials research, prototyping, product life cycle analysis and proof of concept demonstration.
Amara Raja will set up a commercial scale pilot plant and the first giga scale cell production facility in order to manufacture giga scale of cell technology products. The company announced the incorporation of a subsidiary named Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies on November 3 for this
The battery maker is working on a lithium-ion cell chemistry adapted to the conditions of the Indian subcontinent. It already supplies lithium battery packs and chargers to some two-wheeler and three-wheeler OEMs.
Jayadeva Galla, Chairman and Managing Director, Amara Raja Batteries, said, “This strategic partnership with the Government of Telangana is a giant leap forward for Amara Raja and will spur innovations in sustainable technologies for the entire region, apart from creating employment opportunities. We have had a long association with the state and are excited to finally have the opportunity to set up an industrial base here.
Vikramaditya Gourineni, executive director of New Energy Business, said the latest move is in line with the energy and mobility roadmap that the country prepared last year. We aim to develop a strong Indian ecosystem with R&D, incubation, testing and manufacturing – a Giga Corridor for emerging technologies in energy and mobility.
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