By Business India Editorial

What could be called a breakthrough feat, homegrown battery maker GODI said that it has made the first batch of commercial-grade NMC 21700 lithium-ion cells at its factory in Shamsabad in Hyderabad.

These cells are used in two, three and four-wheel electric vehicles.

Founder and CEO of GODI, Mahesh Godi claims that this is the first time an Indian player has designed, developed and manufactured these lithium-ion cells in house.

“There is no cell manufacturing happening in India and Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have to depend on imports from China or South Korea. We are the first company in India to manufacture the commercial-grade NMC 21700 lithium-ion cells,” he said, adding that the company is in touch with all major OEMs for the product.

Godi pointed out that currently only China and Korea have large factories that are running at full capacities and for the next two to three years, their capacities are tied up for European and North American customers. In such a scenario, Indian OEMs have to procure cells at a premium and even the waiting period is high.

“The indigenous development of NMC 21700 lithium-ion cells will not only reduce the waiting period but also be a cost-effective proposition. Besides, what is important is that our lithium-ion cells are designed keeping in mind Indian road conditions and the vehicle usage habits of our people, which will make it ideal for EVs running on Indian roads,” he added.

He added that the commercial-grade samples of these cells will be available soon to OEMs for their testing and validation. The commissioning and upscaling of the production facility will continue through 2022 with bulk deliveries expected to be made in late 2022. GODI plans to build a 5GWh factory within the next three years, he added.

GODI, set up in 2019, has an employee base of 50 people and has both its R&D and manufacturing unit, with a capacity of 100MWh, under the same roof. The startup is planning to invest around $250 million by the end of the year.