COEP Technological University and JSW Projects have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish an advanced battery research and development centre at the university’s Chikhali Research Park in Pune. The partners plan to invest more than ₹800 crore across two phases, creating what they describe as India’s first indigenous battery prototyping and pilot-scale R&D platform located on an academic campus.
The first phase will establish a Cell Research and Development Centre focused on the design, simulation and prototyping of lithium-ion and other advanced-chemistry battery cells. Its research mandate will include sodium-ion technology, which is being evaluated internationally as an alternative for applications where cost, material availability or operating conditions may make conventional lithium-ion chemistries less suitable.
The second phase will create a Cell Validation Centre capable of producing and testing battery cells with capacities ranging from 100 ampere-hours to 600 ampere-hours. That range covers large-format cells relevant to electric vehicles, stationary energy storage and other industrial applications. The centre is expected to provide an intermediate step between laboratory research and full commercial manufacturing, allowing new designs and chemistries to be validated at pilot scale before larger production commitments are made.
The partners said cells developed through the programme would be benchmarked against international performance standards while being engineered for Indian climatic conditions and use cases. Temperature, humidity, charging patterns and operating environments can materially affect battery life, safety and performance, making local testing a central part of the proposed programme.
The facility will also support joint research projects, academic publications and the creation of intellectual property. Students and faculty will work alongside industry engineers on commercially oriented battery development, extending the initiative beyond a standalone testing laboratory. COEP Tech Vice-Chancellor Sunil Bhirud said the collaboration was intended to support domestic alternatives to imported battery technologies while giving students direct exposure to advanced cell development.
JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal described battery cells as a foundational energy technology for electric mobility and grid storage. He said the partnership would bring together COEP Tech’s engineering base and JSW’s industrial capabilities to design, test and validate cells manufactured for Indian requirements.
The partners estimate that the project could support more than 1,000 jobs across the associated battery ecosystem. The announced scope spans research, prototyping, validation and skills development; timelines for construction, equipment installation and commencement of pilot production have not yet been publicly specified. The MoU therefore marks the formal initiation of the project, with execution milestones and detailed funding schedules still to follow
