Amara Raja to invest Rs 9,500 crore in Telangana battery-making unit

Unit will house Amara Raja E-hub, an advanced energy research and innovation centre to meet firm's development needs and offer facilities to other players in the energy and mobility space

Amara Raja Batteries, a leading industrial and automotive battery making company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Telangana on Friday, to set up state-of-the-art research and manufacturing facilities for lithium-ion battery-making in the state's Mahbubnagar district. The company intends to invest over Rs 9,500 crore in the unit over the next 10 years, after necessary approvals.

In its latest initiative to become an ‘energy and mobility’ enterprise, Amara Raja has chosen Telangana to house its Amara Raja Giga Corridor. The facilities would initially include a first-of-its kind advanced energy research and innovation centre in Hyderabad, the Amara Raja E-hub. The facility will have advanced laboratories and testing infrastructure for material research, prototyping, product life-cycle analysis and proof-of-concept demonstration. The unit will cater to Amara Raja's development needs and provide a range of facilities open to other players in the energy and mobility space.

Amara Raja said it envisions the E-hub to serve as a much-needed catalyst for multi-stakeholder collaboration, fostering entrepreneurship in these emerging sectors in line with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision. In addition, as part of its journey towards giga-scale manufacturing of advanced cell technology products, Amara Raja will set up a commercial-scale pilot plant and its first giga-scale cell production facility.

On November 3, the company had announced the incorporation of a subsidiary named Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies. The firm has been working on Li-ion cell chemistries specifically suited for Indian subcontinent conditions, and already supplies lithium battery packs and chargers to some two- and three-Wheeler OEMs.

"This strategic partnership with the Government of Telangana is a giant leap for Amara Raja and will bring in the impetus for innovations in sustainable technologies for the whole region, in addition to generating employment. We have had a long association with the state and are excited to finally have the opportunity to establish an industrial base here,”  said Jayadev Galla, Chairman and Managing Director, Amara Raja Batteries.