Non-lithium batteries set to cut India's 50% storage imports by 2035: Netra

NEW DELHI: Non-lithium energy storage technologies like sodium-ion batteries are poised to cut India's storage imports by 50 per cent by 2035, according to a survey by the NetZero Energy Transition Association (Netra).

According to a Netra statement, India’s battery energy storage sector is undergoing significant transformation, with nearly 90 per cent of current storage and lithium-ion battery requirements still met through imports.

However, rapid adoption of vanadium redox flow, sodium-ion, zinc-based, and iron-based batteries and indigenous manufacturing could enable India to reduce its battery storage import dependence to just 50–52 per cent by 2035, a recent survey by NETRA, a global platform for driving the energy transition by enabling new and advanced technologies, said.


The survey was conducted among various industry leaders, representatives from utilities, battery manufacturers, project developers, researchers, and manufacturers across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

This survey report will be officially revealed at the BEYOND LITHIUM SUMMIT 2026, to be held on October 24, 2026, in New Delhi.

This first-of-its-kind platform in India is dedicated to battery technologies beyond lithium-ion, where over 100 companies and research organisations will gather to map the future of India’s multi-chemistry storage ecosystem and showcase the latest advances in non-lithium energy storage technologies.

Industry estimates suggest that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for India’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) sector stood at 91 per cent between FY26 and FY32. Cumulative capacity is set to rise from 6.3 GWh to 302 GWh in that period, driven by ambitious renewable integration and round-the-clock power needs.

Yet, 89-91 per cent of battery storage systems and lithium-ion batteries are currently sourced from abroad, exposing India to global supply shocks and price volatility.

In the past year alone, lithium battery prices fluctuated by more than 25 per cent in India, influenced by raw material constraints, currency swings, and international market pressures.

About 61 per cent of respondents believe that scaling up domestic innovation and manufacturing of vanadium redox flow, sodium-ion, zinc-based, and iron-based batteries can significantly reduce India’s reliance on imported solutions.

Over half (54 per cent) expect that, with commercial-scale deployment and targeted investment, India's storage import share could fall to 50–52 per cent by 2032.

The shift is already underway. Leading Indian research institutions, including ARCI, IMMT, NCL, and IIT Bombay, are advancing indigenous sodium-ion cell technology, while companies such as Rechargion, HPCL, Oden Energy, Macsen Energy, and Uneverse are developing cell and pack solutions tailored to grid and industrial applications.

Globally, sodium-ion cell manufacturing capacity has crossed 10 GWh this year, with further expansion planned.

On the vanadium flow front, companies like VFT (formerly Vflowtech) and Delectrik Systems are installing vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) systems both in India and internationally, targeting long-duration storage and grid flexibility.

Rahul Walawalkar, President of NETRA, said, "India’s energy security will depend not only on how much storage we deploy, but on the diversity and indigenisation of the technologies behind it".

Zinc-based batteries offer India a strategic opportunity to achieve energy security through indigenous manufacturing and by eliminating dependence on imported lithium, said Saroj Sahu, CEO & Co-Founder, Golden Gate Battery, Inc.

NETRA’s findings align with government and industry calls for a technology-agnostic approach to energy storage.

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