A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed for industrial performance validation of sodium-ion pouch cells made from Sodium Vanadium Phosphate (NVP) cathode powder material. The validation of the technology can help commercialisation of sodium- ion batteries, which can be safer and lower in cost than lithium-ion batteries that are widely used today for portable electronics, electric vehicles (EVs), and renewable energy storage systems.
The International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous R&D centre under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Voltasun Technologies Pvt. Ltd. on 15 December 2025 for development and supply of 80 Nos of 5Ah pouch cells, evaluation and potential commercialisation of sodium-ion battery technology developed by ARCI.
ARCI has developed Sodium Vanadium Phosphate (NVP) cathode powder material and demonstrated its performance through the fabrication of NVP-based sodium-ion pouch cells under the ANRF, MAHA EV project. The cells have been validated at the standard laboratory scale, with testing and validation under field conditions currently in progress.
Voltasun Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is a materials-to-cells startup specializing in battery active materials, cell manufacturing, consultancy, scale-up, and research and development services. The company possesses an established industrial customer network to evaluate and broaden the application potential of ARCI’s sodium-ion battery technology, particularly for stationary energy storage applications.
The collaboration will be executed in two phases. Phase I includes supply of 80 pouch cells by ARCI, and performance validation with feedback from Voltasun. Phase II involves the supply of two additional sets of 80 pouch cells each through a separate amendment agreement.
The collaboration reflects ARCI’s continued efforts to translate indigenous research outcomes into industry-ready technologies, supporting India’s initiatives towards self-reliance in advanced energy storage solutions.
Agreement exchanged between Dr R. Vijay, Director, ARCI, and Mr Uttam Kumar Shah, Director, VoltAsun Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Noida.
