Beyond Lithium-Ion: Emerging Battery Technologies and India’s Strategic Opportunities

Introduction: The growing demand for Batteries

Global battery energy storage is rapidly expanding, driven by EV adoption and the growth of renewable energy. Lithium-ion batteries have led this transition due to falling costs, improved performance, and large-scale manufacturing, making them the dominant technology across applications.

However, rising demand is exposing key limitations-dependence on critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, nickel), safety concerns like thermal runaway, and constraints in achieving higher energy density, faster charging, and longer life. These challenges are accelerating interest in alternative battery technologies.

Global Developments in Advanced and Emerging Technologies

Global players are accelerating next-generation battery development to overcome lithium-ion limitations in cost, energy density, safety, and supply chain risks. These efforts span both advanced Li-ion improvements and alternative chemistries at different maturity levels. As the market evolves, technology adoption is becoming increasingly application-specific, driven by performance, cost, and scalability.

Global Technology Readiness Levels

Among next-generation chemistries, sodium-ion batteries are gaining traction due to abundant, low-cost materials and reduced reliance on lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Prussian Blue Analogues (PBA) and layered oxides are leading commercialization with early deployments, while polyanionic (NASICON-type) chemistries remain less mature due to lower energy density and cycle stability. Sodium-ion is thus emerging as a near-term solution for stationary storage and entry-level mobility, rather than a replacement for high-energy lithium-ion systems.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are attracting strong interest for their superior safety, higher energy density, and thermal stability. Companies like Toyota, QuantumScape, Solid Power, and ProLogium are progressing toward commercialization, with initial deployments expected around 2026-2027. More disruptive technologies like lithium-sulfur (Li-S) promise very high energy density and low material cost but face limitations in cycle life, placing them in the mid- to long-term horizon. Similarly, anode-free lithium-metal batteries offer higher energy density and cost advantages but require breakthroughs in dendrite control and cycle stability, with companies like CATL actively developing solutions.

Within lithium-ion advancements, silicon-based anodes are the most commercially advanced, offering 20-40% higher energy density despite challenges like volume expansion. Players such as Sila Nanotechnologies and Group14 are already scaling supply.

Overall, the future battery landscape will be diversified, with multiple chemistries coexisting and optimized for specific applications-from high-energy mobility to cost-effective grid storage.

Indian Developments

During the past three years, lithium battery deployments in EVs and stationary applications have risen in the nation, with the demand standing at 27 GWh in 2025. However, domestic cell manufacturing remains limited at <3 GWh, resulting in continued dependence on imports. In parallel, early-stage innovation is gaining momentum, with institutions such as IISc and IITs working on silicon-based anodes and lithium-metal systems, while organizations like the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI)[1] focus on solid-state electrolytes. Startups are also exploring alternative chemistries such as zinc-bromide, sodium, and magnesium-based storage systems. This reflects a dual-track approach meeting immediate demand while building long-term technological capabilities.

Between 2026-30, the focus is expected to shift from pilot to commercial transition. Technologies that align with existing infrastructure are likely to scale first. Sodium-ion batteries, supported by abundant raw materials and improving performance, are emerging as strong candidates for stationary storage and entry-level mobility. It is already at a pilot stage (TRL 5-7), with institutions like CSIR-CECRI. [2] demonstrating cells with around 600 cycles and companies such as Macsen Labs working toward pilot-sale production by 2026. At the same time, silicon-anode enhancements within lithium-ion batteries are expected to gain traction in EVs due to their compatibility with current manufacturing systems. Alternative solutions, such as zinc-based and flow batteries, are also likely to see niche deployment in long-duration and backup applications. This phase will be defined by low-risk innovation and early commercialization.

Startups are increasingly driving India’s push toward alternative chemistries. Golden Gate Battery (New Delhi) is developing zinc–bromide (Zn-Br) batteries for long-duration storage, offering high safety (non-flammable), long cycle life (>5,000 cycles), and use of abundant materials, making them well-suited for grid and backup applications. The company has demonstrated early commercial products (e.g., UPS systems) and, through collaboration with CSIR-IMMT, is addressing key challenges such as dendrite formation via patented zinc deposition technologies.

Similarly, Entity2 Energy Storage is advancing solid-state sodium silicate and quasi-solid-state magnesium batteries, focusing on cost-effective and sustainable solutions. Its partnership with Vikram Solar, including plans for a 1 GWh manufacturing facility, signals a transition from R&D to early commercialization.

Between 2030-35, India’s battery landscape is expected to diversify significantly. As storage demand scales (projected ~900 GWh by 2035), different technologies will serve distinct applications. Sodium-ion could play a key role in grid-scale storage; non-lithium chemistries, including zinc and flow batteries, are expected to expand further in long-duration use cases. Semi-solid and early solid-state batteries may enter premium mobility segments. This marks a transition from technology adoption to selective manufacturing and ecosystem development.

These developments highlight a growing industry-academia collaboration model and indicate that India’s innovation ecosystem is beginning to move beyond research toward pilot-scale deployment of alternative chemistries.

Beyond 2035, India would leverage its strategic flexibility to leapfrog into advanced chemistries such as solid-state and lithium-metal systems, provided current technical challenges are resolved. At the same time, greater emphasis on resource-aligned technologies and circular material flows could strengthen supply chain resilience and reduce import dependence.

Challenges and Opportunities

While the momentum around next-generation batteries is growing, most technologies remain at varying stages of maturity. Key challenges persist around cycle life, performance consistency, and scalability. However, the more critical bottleneck in the Indian context is not scientific capability, but the gap between laboratory innovation and commercial-scale manufacturing. Pilot-scale validation, process standardization, and yield optimization remain underdeveloped, limiting the transition from research to deployment.

This is where India’s policy and industrial strategy must become sharper. While scaling lithium-ion remains essential for near-term demand, equal focus must be placed on technologies where India can build long-term advantage, particularly sodium-ion, zinc-based systems, and other non-lithium chemistries for stationary storage. The announced niche ACC PLI scheme for 5 GWh, focused on emerging and advanced battery technologies, should be expedited, especially for early-stage companies working on sodium-ion, solid-state, and other next-generation chemistries that need initial manufacturing support to cross the commercialization gap.

At the same time, R&D funding through ANRF and other government programs should be strengthened, particularly for advanced materials, pilot-scale validation, and manufacturing process development. Institutions such as ARCI, which are already active in pilot-scale work, should be more closely linked with industry through co-development programs and shared testing infrastructure. Dedicated rapid-prototyping and pilot-manufacturing centres will also be critical to bridging the current gap between laboratory innovation and commercial production.

Industry participation will also be critical. Companies need to invest not just in manufacturing but also in technology development, partnerships, and supply chains. Stronger collaboration between industry, academia, and government institutions can accelerate progress.

For India, the real opportunity lies in making early strategic bets on the right technologies. While lithium-ion scale-up is essential to meet immediate demand, the country can build long-term global leadership in areas such as sodium-ion, zinc-based long-duration storage, LMFP cathodes, graphite anodes, and other resource-aligned battery technologies. By combining near-term manufacturing scale with focused innovation in emerging chemistries, India has the potential to evolve from a fast-growing market into a global hub for next-generation battery manufacturing.

[1] International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, R&D institution under the Department of Science and Technology

[2] Central Electrochemical Research Institute, a premier research lab under CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research)

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