New Delhi, 10th July, 2025: The electric vehicle (EV) market is gaining significant traction in the country, paving the way for a more sustainable future. Batteries are one of the key components of EVs, with lithium-ion technology currently leading the industry due to its high energy density and quick charging. However, concerns over the limited availability of raw materials for these batteries could create production challenges and potential shortages. This highlights the urgent need for alternative battery technologies. Researchers and experts are actively exploring innovative solutions, with Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFB), thermo-mechanical systems, and Sodium-Ion technologies emerging as promising developments that could transform the EV industry and drive the next generation of electric vehicles. VRFB is a rechargeable energy storage solution that leverages vanadium ions for enhanced longevity. The global market for VRFBs was valued at USD 394.7 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.7% from 2024 to 2030. Concerning this, industry experts and leaders highlighted, “India needs battery technology beyond Lithium-ion”, at India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2025 organised by leading industry body India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA).
Industry experts demanded that India need to expand non-lithium energy storage technologies to address its rapidly growing and diverse energy demands. They emphasized on the necessity for alternative solutions that extend beyond lithium, particularly for ensuring grid stability, meeting industrial loads, and promoting clean mobility.
Mr. Avishek Kumar, Co-founder and CEO, VFlowTech, emphasised, “While lithium-ion batteries have reached the mass adoption stage, there is a growing need to diversify energy storage solutions to meet ambitious renewable energy targets of 500 gigawatt. The way the EV revolution started, energy storage needs are evolving. I am a firm believer that alternative energy storage technologies are required to go with the evolution that we are in. We should look into Beyond Lithium because of multiple problems that help us to complement lithium-ion battery technology for applications. There are multiple applications ranging from EVs to renewable integration. This is a typical solar curve. You can see that the solar energy is available for between 6 hours to 10 hours, and the discharge cycle is for 10 to 13 hours, depending on the country that you are in. Vanadium redox flow battery is one technology where power and energy are decoupled. You can increase the energy requirements from 4 hours to 14 hours in a much more scalable way while the cost comes down drastically.”
Moreover, Mr. Avishek showcased Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFB) that offer flexible scalability (4–12+ hours), a lifespan of over 25 years, and 70% localization in India. This localization is achieved through the use of recycled vanadium and containerized units ranging from 1 to 5 MW.
Highlighting the rise of sodium-ion batteries as a cost-effective, temperature-resilient alternative ideal for stationary applications, Mr. William Tope, CEO, LiNa Energy said, “As we start to move towards very high penetrations of intermediate renewable generation, the importance of other battery industries and long duration energy storage to load shift at large scale from the off peak period to the peak period is incredibly important. It’s vital to system strength, energy security, and affordability as we continue through this transition. It’s very important to meet the very ambitious targets that India has, 500 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
Emphasizing the growing demand for alternative solutions, Mr. Paul Smith said that their CO₂-based CEAS storage is a market-ready solution that scales up to 1 GWh, which is now entering India through a partnership with NTPC.
Mr. Gunjan Kapadia, Co-founder and CEO of Sthyr Energy, introduced this Zinc-air battery technology, which offers long-duration storage of 10–24 hours to support deeper discharge cycles.
Mr. Saurav Mitra, Director, Sumitomo SHI FW, said, “As we increase more and more renewables in the system, we need to have more storage in the system to balance the renewables. For this, we need innovative storage solutions like thermo-mechanical systems. These not only reduce footprint and enhance energy density but also provide stability services similar to traditional thermal power plants. We have recently observed several high-frequency events in India that indicate a trend toward lower results. One reason we liquefy air is to reduce its footprint and energy density, allowing for greater flexibility in location. Additionally, liquefied air provides excellent stability services, similar to those offered by a thermal power plant in the initial power generation segment. From a scalability perspective, consider a 500-megawatt power plant that occupies about seven acres. If we double the storage duration, the space requirement only increases to around eight and a half acres, potentially allowing for an increase in power output as well.”
He further demonstrated Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) as a thermo-mechanical, zero-critical-mineral solution with 80% component sourcing already in India.
These advancements indicate that India’s future in energy storage will be diverse, community-focused, and environmentally sustainable, paving the way for resilience that extends beyond lithium. Addressing the future of energy storage and renewable energy solutions in India, IESW 2025 aims to advance the country’s energy landscape by providing a launchpad to over 300 unique product innovations in EVs, charging infrastructure, solar, green hydrogen, batteries, and RE.
