As India accelerates its transition to clean energy and electric mobility, advanced battery manufacturing is becoming a national priority. In a recent interview, Rashmi spoke with Vijay Chaudhry, CEO of Bry-Air, to understand how next-generation batteries—especially solid-state lithium-ion technologies—are reshaping India’s energy future.
According to Mr. Chaudhry, while solid-state batteries offer major benefits like faster charging, higher energy density, and improved safety, they also demand strict environmental conditions during production. “Controlling moisture is not optional—it’s critical,” he explained. Bry-Air addresses this challenge by designing dry rooms with ultra-low dew points, which create ideal conditions for battery assembly.
The CEO also highlighted how Bry-Air’s energy-efficient and scalable dehumidification systems are supporting India’s gigafactory ecosystem. “We’re not just supplying equipment—we’re enabling a reliable, sustainable production process,” he added.
As India looks to localize battery production and reduce dependence on imports, companies like Bry-Air are quietly powering the backend of this clean-tech revolution. From EV batteries to grid-scale storage systems, Mr. Chaudhry believes robust infrastructure and environmental control will be just as important as battery chemistry.
1. How do you see next-generation batteries shaping India’s energy storage ecosystem, especially in the context of grid stability and renewable integration?
Next-generation batteries have been gaining a lot of traction in recent years, as they come with a lot of potential to boost the energy storage ecosystem of India. It promotes seamless renewable integration by significantly augmenting the clean energy capacity of the country. Next-generation batteries, such as solid-state Li-ion batteries, exhibit high energy density to facilitate enhanced energy storage capacity. This, in turn, enables the generation of excess renewable energy during the peak hours. In the process, it strikes a balance between supply and demand, contributing to grid stability. Along with this, it resides well for frequency and voltage regulation, and its ability to discharge during peak hours further reduces the load on the grid.
At the same time, showing great storage capacity, it goes a long way in decreasing the dependence on fossil fuel-based energy. Thereby, curtailing the emissions, it also contributes to reducing the operational costs, making it a preferable choice for industry leaders in the segment.
2. Solid-state lithium-ion batteries are gaining attention globally. What potential do you see for their adoption in India, and what could accelerate their rollout?
Looking at the wide gamut of benefits offered by solid-state Li-ion batteries, the industry is making significant progress towards their adoption. It is emerging as a game changer for powering the unmatched performance of EVs. The batteries are adept at alleviating the common concerns of customers revolving around range anxiety, long charging times, and safety issues such as explosions or EVs catching fire. To achieve the purpose, they speed up battery charging and also address the challenge of range anxiety. Moreover, made up of solid electrolyte, it withstands extreme temperatures to reduce the instances of fire accidents and explosions in EVs. In addition to this, the solid-state Li-ion batteries also support the renewable energy goals of the country by enabling safe, efficient, durable, and long-lasting storage of clean energy.
Gauging the rising preference for solid-state Li-ion batteries, domestic manufacturing should be prioritized to give the desired impetus to the next generation of batteries. Supporting them with robust R&D can further add to the resilience of batteries and even promote their innovation and upgradation for driving optimal output. In addition to this, tax benefits and PLI schemes and incentives can play a crucial role in reducing the cost of batteries, thereby accelerating their adoption amongst the industry players.
3. What are the key environmental control challenges in manufacturing next-generation and solid-state batteries, and how does Bry-Air address them?
The solid-state Li-ion batteries consist of sulfide, which exhibits great affinity for moisture. Due to this, the batteries are prone to undergo degeneration in the presence of humidity, resulting in the production of low-quality, substandard solid-state Li-ion batteries. It can severely impact the performance of the vehicles; therefore, it becomes a prerequisite to strictly control the environment where the batteries are to be manufactured.
In order to address the issue, Bry-Air, coming with extensive years of experience in the industry, provides Dry Rooms which are sealed and controlled environment. The Dry Rooms are proficient at maintaining ultra-low humidity conditions by harnessing the benefits of precision dehumidifier that is plugged into the room. Ultimately, the dehumidifiers efficiently mitigate the moisture-related defects in battery components, such as lithium salts and electrolytes.
Though Dry Rooms are essential for facilitating solid-state Li-ion battery manufacturing, they consume 43% of the total energy required in the battery manufacturing process to power the dehumidifiers. Gauging the gap, we at Bry-Air offer Super Low Dew Point (LDP) dehumidifiers, which are specifically designed to drive the energy efficiency of Dry Rooms. They are well-equipped with high-performance rotors for catalyzing the efficiency of the Dry Rooms by achieving a dew point of -80°C and supplying air of < -70°C Dew Point for ensuring stability and optimal performance of solid electrolytes.
4. As EV demand surges, what role do you foresee solid-state batteries playing in transforming the Indian electric vehicle market?
The Indian EV industry is on the fast lane to growth where it registered sales of 1,69,931 units in the month of January 2025, projecting growth of 19.4% MoM and 17.1% YoY as per the report by IBEF. Furthermore, the penetration of EVs in Tier 2 cities stood at 10.67 per cent and Tier 3 cities clocked 8.68 per cent adoption in FY 2025, according to white paper by JMK Research & Analytics. With the surging demand for EVs, solid-state Li-ion batteries are at the forefront of alleviating the major challenges posed by traditional Li-ion batteries. Coming with higher energy density, it contributes to the extended range of the EVs, addressing the concern of the potential buyers over range anxiety. Additionally, the ability to charge rapidly significantly reduces the hassles of long charging hours.
Being proficient at defying extreme temperatures, they curtail the instances of explosions in EVs. Furthermore, made of non-flammable organic solvents, the solid-state batteries contribute to optimal performance even in high-heat temperatures. Simultaneously, unlike their liquid counterpart, they can defy freezing at low temperatures, thereby resisting voltage drop at low temperatures common in liquid Li-ion batteries. Altogether, solid-state Li-ion batteries undergo slow deterioration, which significantly adds to the longevity of the batteries.
5. How is Bry-Air innovating or adapting its solutions to meet the unique needs of gigafactories or advanced battery facilities?
Bry-Air is at the forefront of environmental control innovation, catering to the exacting requirements of modern gigafactories and advanced battery manufacturing facilities. As battery chemistries become more sophisticated—for example, with the shift towards lithium-ion and solid-state formulations—manufacturers face stringent demands on humidity and contamination control. Bry-Air has responded by developing state-of-the-art dehumidification systems capable of achieving ultra-low dew point levels, crucial for ensuring product quality, performance, and safety. Our patented technologies, such as the Green DryPurge® and advanced adsorption rotors, are not only precision-engineered for large-scale battery dry rooms but are also notably energy-efficient, aligning with the sustainability objectives of global manufacturers. Our solutions integrate seamlessly with smart factory frameworks, leveraging sensor-based automation to enable real-time monitoring, reduce manual intervention, and maintain consistent environmental conditions.
This focus on both scalability and digital integration ensures Bry-Air is well-equipped to deliver high-performing, future-ready environmental systems for the battery industry’s most demanding applications, including massive gigafactories where even the slightest contamination can compromise productivity.
6. In your opinion, how can India balance the push for localization in battery manufacturing with the need to adopt cutting-edge technologies like solid-state batteries?
India faces a nuanced challenge as it seeks to build a robust, self-reliant battery manufacturing sector while keeping pace with rapidly evolving global technologies such as solid-state batteries. The key lies in cultivating an ecosystem that supports both: localization of existing technologies and proactive investment in next-gen chemistries. Indian policy, such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, has rightly prioritized local manufacturing capacity and the development of domestic supply chains.
However, to avoid technological lock-in and ensure long-term competitiveness, this must be complemented by strategic investments in R&D, industry-academia collaborations, and international technology partnerships focused on advanced batteries. By fostering close cooperation between domestic manufacturers, research institutes, and global innovators, India can ensure early adoption and indigenous adaptation of disruptive technologies like solid-state batteries. Furthermore, establishing pilot-scale manufacturing facilities, certification labs, and recycling infrastructure can accelerate knowledge transfer and de-risk commercial deployment. Ultimately, the balance will come from a technology-agnostic, forward-looking policy approach—one that supports today’s market needs through localization while keeping India agile enough to lead in tomorrow’s battery technologies.
7. What partnerships or government initiatives would you like to see to support companies like Bry-Air in strengthening the clean energy value chain?
Initiatives such as PM E-DRIVE, Production-Linked incentives and schemes can give the desired impetus to the domestic manufacturing of batteries. In addition to this, skill development programs for the workforce are also necessary to equip them with the required knowledge to handle the machines and regulate the processes.
8. Looking ahead, how do you envision Bry-Air contributing to India’s transition toward a greener, battery-driven future?
With Bry-Air being a leader in dehumidification and environment control solutions for more than six decades, we are perennially focused on contributing to the greener future of the nation. Our dehumidifiers are specifically engineered to achieve ultra-low dew point environments that aid in reducing the energy consumption throughout the Li-ion battery manufacturing process. Therefore, promoting energy efficiency, the products and solutions curtail wastage of energy, contributing to sustainable manufacturing by lowering the carbon footprint for gigafactories.