Tata Sons announces global battery cell gigafactory in the UK

MUMBAI: The $230-billion Tata Group, by far the biggest Indian investor in the UK, Wednesday expanded its commitment to the future of green mobility by announcing a £4-billion (about Rs 42,000 crore) battery cell gigafactory project that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described as one of the “largest ever investments” in that country’s automotive sector.

The move has been stated as an integral part of Tata Group’s commitment to electric mobility and renewable energy storage solutions and establishes a competitive green tech ecosystem in the UK at scale. The battery cell plant is expected to start supplying to JLR and Tata Motors from 2026.

Apart from the UK, the Indian Group had also been considering Spain for its new factory.


N Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Sons, said: “The Tata Group will be setting up one of Europe's largest battery cell manufacturing facilities in the UK. Our multi-billion-pound investment will bring state-of-the-art technology to the country, helping to power the automotive sector’s transition to electric mobility, anchored by our own business, Jaguar Land Rover.”

This is the latest investment commitment in the UK by India’s most-valued conglomerate that has business interest in areas as diverse as steel, power, aviation, chemicals, and software services.

“With this strategic investment, the Tata Group further strengthens its commitment to the UK, alongside our many companies operating here across technology, consumer, hospitality, steel, chemicals, and automotive,” said the Tata Sons chairman. “I also want to thank His Majesty's Government, which has worked so closely with us to enable this investment.”

For the UK, where persistent inflation in the aftermath of Brexit and the Ukraine war has caused growth to falter, Tata Group’s latest investment brightens job prospects amid expectations that European businesses may have to endure higher funding costs for a longer period than initially anticipated as prices take longer to cool.

BRITISH PM SUNAK
“Tata Group’s decision to build their new gigafactory here in the UK – their first outside of India – is a huge vote of confidence in Britain. This will be one of the largest ever investments in the UK automotive sector,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. “It will not only create thousands of skilled jobs for Britons around the country, but it will also strengthen our lead in the global transition to electric vehicles, helping to grow our economy in clean industries of the future.”

Jaguar Land Rover-owner Tata Group zeroed in on the UK for its new electric vehicle battery plant that will supply JLR's future battery electric models including the Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar brand.

The battery gigafactory will produce high-quality, high-performance, sustainable battery cells and packs for a variety of applications within the mobility and energy sectors.