The drive for indigenously made lithium ion batteries on a large scale has got a push with the Indian Space Research Organisation offering its production technology to Indian industry.
An RFQ (request for quotation) issued on Tuesday invites multiple qualified companies or start-ups to use its power storage technology to produce a range of Li ion cells for many purposes, mainly EVs or electric vehicles.
ISRO’s rocket sciences node Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre will transfer its in-house technology non-exclusively to each qualified production agency for a one-time fee of ₹1 crore, according to the document. The Li ion cell production initiative is part of the government’s plan to achieve 100% EVs in the country by 2030.
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Li ion battery is much in demand for use in handy consumer electronics goods too.
Currently the batteries are imported mostly from China, South Korea and Taiwan. To drive the Indian EV dream of the coming decades, national think tank NITI Aayog has also earlier called for setting up local production.
An ISRO release said, “VSSC is now offering to transfer this technology to competent Indian industries/start-ups on non-exclusive basis to establish Li ion cell production facilities in the country that can produce cells of varying size, capacity, energy density and power density catering to the entire spectrum of power storage requirements.”
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Pre-bid conference
A pre-bid conference has been scheduled for July 13 and the final proposals of short-listed companies would be opened on August 14.
ISRO has also invited industries to take up other new technologies from its centre.