India Needs Focus on Second-Life EV Batteries for Resilient Ecosystem: Experts

India needs coordinated action across manufacturing, deployment, second‑life applications and end‑of‑life management to build a resilient, self‑reliant and circular battery ecosystem, experts and policy makers said. “The conversation must also go beyond mobility and explore the potential of second‑life applications for EV batteries, which can help maximize their value and utilization beyond their initial use in vehicles,” Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) said at a national conference here.

TERI conference brought together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and other stakeholders to deliberate on the opportunities and challenges shaping India’s rapidly evolving battery ecosystem. Vijay Mittal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries said that the ministry is strengthening domestic manufacturing and supply chains while advancing second‑life applications, traceability, standards, and recycling for a competitive and circular battery ecosystem.

“Second-life batteries have significant potential for applications beyond electric mobility, including home appliances, rooftop solar PV systems and UPS systems,” said Kuldeep Rana, Scientist E, MNRE. Discussions at the conference included issues related to battery value chain—from the scale-up of domestic Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing and the growth of electric mobility to the emerging requirements for battery reuse, repurposing and recycling. AK Saxena, Senior Director, TERI stressed that localising value creation should be the main focus rather than just increasing volumes.

Batteries should be designed for circularity from day one, while building greater trust in second-life applications by considering their remaining capacity and performance, Saxena added. Vinayak Walimbe, Managing Director, IESA, called for enhancing domestic value addition to build a robust and competitive battery ecosystem in the country. “State-level capacity planning, stronger payment-security mechanisms, and flexible resources at the distribution downstream will be critical for managing peak demand and building a resilient and responsive power system,” said Sugandhita Wadhera, Senior Manager, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd.

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