Ola Electric developing solid-state batteries, says chairman

02 Jul 2024 CW Team

Ola Electric, an Indian electric scooter manufacturer backed by SoftBank Group, is developing solid-state batteries and plans to power its vehicles with its own cells by next year, according to founder and chairman Bhavish Aggarwal.

Aggarwal mentioned that the company is in the early stages of experimenting with solid-state batteries. He anticipates that Ola's electric scooters, among the best-selling in India, will be powered by these cells when commercial production starts early next year at their cell 'gigafactory' in Southern Tamil Nadu.

The gigafactory, owned by a unit of Ola Electric, has been chosen for the government's battery manufacturing incentive scheme. Solid-state batteries are expected to provide improved safety, a longer lifespan, and faster charging compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, which use flammable liquid electrolytes. However, mass adoption of solid-state batteries has been challenging due to constraints in raw material availability, complex manufacturing processes, and high costs.

Japan's Toyota Motor, the world's largest automaker, is a major advocate of solid-state batteries and plans to launch them globally in the next few years.

Currently, Ola does not produce its own cells and sources them from South Korea's LG Energy Solution and China's Contemporary Amperex Technology. Localising cell manufacturing is considered a crucial step in reducing the upfront costs of electric vehicles, as cell sourcing is one of the biggest expenses for most EV makers.

Ola has started manufacturing the more efficient 4680 form of battery cells, but only for testing purposes. These cells are known to be more efficient than the widely used 2170 cells, but many companies, including Tesla, have faced challenges in scaling up production.

Real Estate

26 Jun 2026

Platinum Corp Launches Bespoke Presidential Suites

Platinum Corp has launched Platinum Stellar: Bespoke Presidential Suites, a luxury residential project on Main Avenue in Santacruz, Mumbai. The project has been positioned as a boutique, design-led development for high-net-worth individuals, business owners and legacy residents from the Bandra-Khar-Santacruz belt.The project has been developed in collaboration with celebrity interior designer Sussanne Khan and follows a design-first approach inspired by Art Deco architecture. It incorporates refined detailing, spacious layouts, premium material palettes and arrival experiences planned to creat..

Adani Airport City Plans Rs 200 Bn Investment

Adani Airport City Limited (AACL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), has announced a programme to develop integrated airport cities across its airport network. The first phase will involve an investment of more than Rs 20,000 crore and cover around 22 million sq ft across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Guwahati.The development spans over 655 acres across six airports in five states. Nearly 440 acres are located in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, which will receive close to 70 per cent of the planned investment. The focus reflects the Mumbai Metrop..

Vedanta contributes Rs 627.22 billion to exchequer

Vedanta Limited contributed Rs 627.22 billion to the exchequer in FY26, according to its 11th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution accounted for 36 per cent of the company’s consolidated revenue from operations and reflected its focus on transparent governance, fiscal discipline and nation-building.The FY26 contribution marked a 13.3 per cent increase over the previous year. Vedanta’s cumulative contribution to the exchequer over the past decade reached Rs 4.83 trillion. The company said the Group ranks among India’s top three private-sector contributors to the national exchequer.Th..