The India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) celebrated World Energy Storage Day (WESD) 2023 Global Virtual Conference & Expo, gathering energy storage, clean tech, and EV experts from 70 countries. Prime Minister Modi’s vision for sustainable mobility solutions set the conference’s backdrop, emphasising the pivotal role of electric vehicles and energy storage in achieving this goal.
Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, Chair of WESD and Founder of IESA, stated that India anticipates the commencement of commercial production in the first giga factories in 2024. The manufacturing capacity is expected to scale to 50+ GWh by 2027-28 and 160+ GWh annually by 2030, with a vision to reach 500+ GWh by 2035. He also highlighted the potential for localising key components of giga factories and expanding the supply chain industry in India.
The conference addressed e-mobility trends in the R2 region (India and SAARC nations), where India’s growth as a manufacturing hub for EVs was noted, particularly in engineering and R&D, driven by domestic demand, said Swapnil Jain, CTO of Ather Energy.
Anmol Jaggi, Founder of Blu Smart, emphasised the economic benefits of electric vehicles, highlighting significant fuel cost savings for fleet operators and the need for more charging stations.
Anant Nahata, MD of Exicom Tele-Systems Limited, stressed the importance of a robust charging infrastructure for India’s EV adoption.
Dr. Imre Gyuk from the US Department of Energy noted that the industry didn’t face technological barriers to long-duration energy storage.
Dr. Judy Jeevarajan, Vice President and Executive Director of Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI), UL Research Institutes, discussed the need for diverse battery chemistries in energy storage.
The workshops at the event underscored the importance of comprehensive safety education, the establishment of standards for battery energy storage systems, and workforce development to support the industry’s growth.
