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Informist, Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

 

KOLKATA – After making significant investments in the lithium-ion battery plant over the past few years, Exide Industries Ltd. is set to invest INR 14 billion in the current financial year, completing its initial set of investments to establish the plant near Bengaluru. It marks the company's foray into the lithium-ion battery segment. 

 

Over the past few years, Exide has already invested over INR 48 billion to set up the first phase of this plant. The additional investment in the current financial year will bring its total investment in the plant to INR 62 billion. Although the INR 14 billion planned investment this year will complete the company's foray into the new business, Exide may further invest in the plant for operational reasons in the next financial year. 

 

Exide is setting up a 12-gigawatt-hour plant to enter the lithium-ion battery market. The first phase comprises the commissioning of 6 gigawatt hours of capacity. Once Exide reaches 70-75?pacity utilisation at this plant, it will roll out the second phase of the plant, comprising another 6 gigawatt-hours of capacity. 

 

"The investments we have made so far, 95-99% has gone into capex for capacity. Now much of our capex requirement will come down because most of the machinery has come," Avik Roy, the company's managing director and chief executive officer, told media persons here after the company's 79th annual general meeting. "But we will still have some pending capex programme. For example, we are putting up a pilot line for R&D, which will require capex. And there are some other active capex items also there."

 

Exide is venturing into the lithium-ion battery business via its wholly owned subsidiary, Exide Energy Solutions Ltd. The lithium-ion plant is housed under this subsidiary, which was incorporated in 2022. 

 

However, Roy said that a major portion of the investment required for a 12-gigawatt plant has already been made during the first phase, and future brownfield investments will not even be half of what Exide is investing in the first phase. 

 

Although Roy did not provide a timeline for when the plant will begin commercial production, he said that some cells might be rolled out during the December quarter and will be used mainly to replace lithium-ion battery cells in modules and packs, which are currently imported. 

 

Exide will also invest INR 4-5 billion in the current financial year to scale up its core lead-acid battery operations and deploy automation and digital technologies. Roy said the company's second focus area will be further strengthening its core lead-acid battery business through brownfield expansion, debottlenecking, and increased automation at the factories to improve efficiency at optimal cost. Apart from this, the company is also deploying artificial intelligence technology across its operations. 

 

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Reported by Avishek Rakshit

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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