The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday named 10 companies to which it proposes to transfer the technology for manufacturing Lithium-ion cells developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thumba.
Originally developed for use in launch vehicles and satellites, this ISRO spin-off will now fuel India's electric vehicle boom. Majority of the companies selected for the commercial production of the Li-ion battery are private-owned, with one from Kerala — Carborundum Universal Ltd based in Kochi.
The shortlisted companies are the following: Amara Raja Batteries Ltd, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh; Bharat Electronics Ltd, Pune; Carborundum Universal Ltd, Kochi; Exicom Tele-Systems Ltd, Gurgaon; GOCL Corporation Ltd, Hyderabad; Jyoti CNC Automation Ltd, Rajkot; National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO), Bhubaneswar; Sukhbir Agro Energy Ltd, New Delhi; Tata Chemicals Ltd, Mumbai, and Thermax Ltd, Pune.
The ISRO and VSSC selected the companies jointly with the NITI-Aayog from a long-list of 141 firms. According to VSSC officials, the space agency will help the companies set up the Lithium-ion cell manufacturing units and provide training for their staff.
For its own use, the VSSC had developed Li-ion cells with capacities ranging from 1.5 Ah to 100 Ah. Subsequent search for an industry partner for commercial production of the battery had hit a wall until the Union government stepped in.
