Chinese wall stumps hunt for high-end battery tech

Curbs mean Indian cos unlikely to get access to tech without China govt's approval

- Ayaan Kartik [e-mail] NEW DELHI

China's export controls on critical know-how and raw materials are slowing India's push to develop an advanced electric vehicle (EV) battery technology that is poised to sweep global markets.

In July, China added battery cathode production technology for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, among other EV battery technologies, to its export-control list, just as several Indian firms like JSW Group were looking to strike partnerships with Chinese players.

The curbs, which apply globally, mean that despite partnerships, Indian firms are unlikely to get access to the latest technology without the Chinese government's approval.

Three companies-Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Exide Industries Ltd, and JSW Group-plan to start with the LFP technology in India. While RIL and Exide have started building plants, JSW's bid has not yet officially begun.

The policy roadblock comes on top of Indian firms already facing delays from extensive paperwork in sourcing equipment and materials such as synthetic graphite essential for LFP technologyaccording to two cell industry executives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

This stranglehold has even turned the decision of Tata Group's Agratas Energy Storage Solutions Pvt. Ltd and Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd earlier this year to prioritize nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) technology over LFP into a non-starter, added the executives.