Battery manufacturer, Amara Raja Batteries has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Telangana to set up state-of-the-art Gigafactory for research and manufacturing of lithium-ion battery in Mahbubnagar district, Telangana.
Over the next 10 years, the company intends to invest over Rs 9,500 crore, after necessary approvals towards the Gigafactory.
The company says as part of its ambition to become an ‘Energy & Mobility’ enterprise, it will setup Amara Raja Giga Corridor in Telangana.
The initial facilities would include a first-of-its-kind advanced energy research and innovation centre in Hyderabad, christened the Amara Raja E-hub.
It will be equipped with advanced laboratories and testing infrastructure for material research, prototyping, product life cycle analysis and Proof of Concept demonstration. This will cater to the development needs of the Amara Raja as well as to provide a range of facilities open to other players in the energy and mobility ecosystem.
The E-hub aims to serve as a much-needed catalyst for multi-stakeholder collaboration and fostering entrepreneurship in these emerging sectors.
In addition, as part of its journey towards Gigafactory scale manufacturing of advanced cell technology products, Amara Raja would be establishing a commercial scale pilot plant and the first giga scale cell production facility.
Towards this, the company had on November 3, 2022 announced the incorporation of a subsidiary named Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies.
The company has been working on lithium-ion cell chemistries specifically suited for Indian subcontinent conditions, and already supplies lithium battery packs and chargers to some two- and three-wheeler OEMs.
Jayadev Galla, Chairman & MD, Amara Raja Batteries said, “This strategic partnership with the government of Telangana is a giant leap for Amara Raja and will bring in the impetus for innovations in sustainable technologies for the whole region, in addition to generating employment opportunities. We have had a long association with the state and are excited to finally have the opportunity to establish an industrial base here.”
Vikramadithya Gourineni, Executive Director, New Energy Business, Amara Raja Batteries said “This latest step is in line with the ‘Energy & Mobility’ roadmap that we laid out last year. Our ambition is to develop a robust Indian ecosystem with R&D, incubation, testing, and manufacturing – a Gigafactory Corridor for emerging technologies in energy and mobility.”
K T Rama Rao, Minister for Industries & Commerce, Telangana government said, “Telangana has been a frontrunner in 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 aim is to become the most electrified state in India, and having a Gigafactory in Telangana further strengthens our aspiration to become an EV manufacturing hub and spearhead the EV revolution in India.”
