In a significant step toward cost-effective and safer energy storage solutions, the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous R&D centre under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Voltasun Technologies Pvt. Ltd. on 15 December 2025. This collaboration aims to validate and commercialise industrial-scale sodium-ion pouch cells developed using Sodium Vanadium Phosphate (NVP) cathode material.
Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a safer and lower-cost alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, offering significant potential for portable electronics, electric vehicles (EVs), and renewable energy storage. ARCI has successfully developed NVP-based cathode powder and demonstrated its effectiveness by fabricating 5Ah pouch cells under the ANRF, MAHA EV project. Laboratory-scale testing has confirmed the material’s performance, and field-level validation is now underway.
The MoU outlines a two-phase collaboration. In Phase I, ARCI will supply 80 NVP-based sodium-ion pouch cells to Voltasun Technologies, which will perform industrial performance validation. Feedback from this evaluation will be used to refine the cells and improve their suitability for commercial applications. Phase II will involve the supply of two additional sets of 80 cells each, formalized through a separate amendment agreement.
Voltasun Technologies, a materials-to-cells startup specializing in battery active materials, cell manufacturing, consultancy, scale-up, and R&D, brings a robust industrial customer network to the partnership. This network will allow ARCI’s sodium-ion technology to be tested under real-world conditions, particularly for stationary energy storage systems.
This collaboration underscores ARCI’s commitment to translating indigenous research into commercially viable, industry-ready technologies. By leveraging domestic expertise in materials science and energy storage, the partnership supports India’s drive toward self-reliance in advanced battery technologies. With safety, cost-efficiency, and sustainability as key objectives, the ARCI-Voltasun initiative is poised to contribute significantly to India’s energy storage ecosystem, advancing the adoption of sodium-ion batteries for multiple industrial and consumer applications.
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