Indi Energy’s Sodium-ion battery triumphs in DRDO Dare to Dream 3.0

Lithium-ion batteries get most of the attention when it comes to emerging technologies vis-a-vis the EV mobility movement revolution. However, now Sodium-ion batteries are set to bring in a new dimension!

While several companies and research institutions are working on technologies, Indi Energy, headquartered in TIDES Business Incubator, IIT Roorkee, has come out with a Sodium-ion battery which would use stubble as the source material. It’s a breakthrough sustainable energy solution based primarily on bio-waste found in the country along with Sodium salt precursors that will dramatically reduce the need for imports and dependency on lithium, cobalt, and nickel (components used in making Li-ion batteries).

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was an early advocate of the idea of making India a self-sufficient nation. Under his visionary leadership, India domestically developed guided missiles and satellite launch vehicles that enabled her to join the worldwide space club. As a tribute to Dr. Kalam and on the backdrop of the “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” call, the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) launched a nationwide contest – “Dare to Dream”. DRDO Dare to Dream 3.0 was spearheaded for emerging technologies to advance and modernize the nation’s defence and aerospace technologies.

As a result of its development of sodium-ion battery technology, Indi Energy has been awarded first place in the Start-Up category of the prestigious competition. With a wide range of applications (such as solar and wind grid storage, electric vehicles, and inverter batteries), our product aims to be an eco-friendly and scalable alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

Our product checks on the sustainable box as its hard carbon (the anode component of our Sodium-Ion Battery) is indigenously developed from biomass. Once our sodium-ion battery technology is commercialized, we can effectively solve the problem of stubble burning that is already endangering millions of lives every year in October and November without any respite. It will also boost the socio-economic potential of rural India by incentivizing farmers to sell their agricultural waste instead of putting fire to it.

Looking ahead at uses for Sodium-ion batteries, Indi Energy hopes that the nation’s defences will soon be ready to embrace its revolutionary sodium-ion battery technology as well. Sodium-ion batteries are compelling for three main reasons- Good performance at low cost, import substitute, and Safety.

An indigenous product can eliminate foreign dependency while simultaneously also meeting customer needs. Indi Energy is on a mission to develop low-cost, safe, and high-performance Sodium-ion batteries made from locally available abundant bio-waste and Sodium salt precursors, thereby reducing India’s heavy reliance on scarce elements such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel that are critical elements in making Li-ion batteries.

Now let us talk about safety concerns which is a must in defence. Our sodium-ion cells intercept fire and do not undergo thermal runaway due to overcharging or accidents. The sodium-ion batteries have also been shown to maintain a good discharge capacity in extreme temperatures (where the military usually get themselves working).

Another problem of the defence industry is to supply a product on time and at a reasonable price. Many types of equipment in defence also have a usage time that extends to years. With a vast application area that covers EV mobility, as well as pocket batteries for radio, our revolutionary battery technology can be developed with low-cost, earth-abundant materials while offering good energy density and cycle life.

Indi Energy’s sodium-ion batteries offer a future they can believe in and rely on!

Building a strong, self-sufficient India requires the collective desire and efforts of the entire nation, and Professor Yogesh Sharma (IIT Roorkee), Indi Energy’s Co-founder and Head of Research & Development firmly agrees with this. “IIT Roorkee’s support for Indi Energy in its quest to develop Sodium-ion cell technology has also been described as a blessing and an honor by him. Further, he shared that to make India self-sufficient in the energy storage sector, Indi Energy aims to create a local supply chain for the components required for the production of Sodium-ion batteries.”

As far as the cost is concerned, the Sodium-ion batteries would cost almost half the price of Lithium-ion batteries. Plus, the raw material is abundant.

Indi Energy has achieved a phenomenal milestone that reflects the national spirit and exemplifies the company’s dedication to empowering energy independence through a renewable and viable invention. The felicitation from DRDO Dare to Dream 3.0 will undoubtedly serve as a reference of motivation to the young minds of our nation as we strive to establish and uphold the new global identity of India.