Reliance secures Rs 3,620 crore PLI benefits for 10 GWh battery manufacturing

Reliance Industries in battery manufacturing: Reliance Industries Ltd has been awarded Rs 3,620 crore in benefits to establish a 10 GWh (gigawatt-hour) battery manufacturing facility under the government's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for advanced chemistry cells. The Ministry of Heavy Industries announced that Reliance emerged as the top bidder from a pool of seven contenders for the tender issued in January.

Six companies were shortlisted for financial evaluation, with five placed on a waiting list according to their rankings. The waitlisted firms include ACME Cleantech Solutions Private Ltd (1st), Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies Private Ltd (2nd), Waaree Energies Ltd (3rd), JSW Neo Energy Ltd (4th), and Lucas TVS Ltd (5th).

Advanced chemistry cells represent next-generation technologies that store energy in electrochemical or chemical form, converting it back to electrical energy when required. The PLI scheme is part of India’s strategy to boost its electric mobility and battery storage ecosystem.

PLI scheme overview

Reliance’s new 10 GWh facility will build on the 5 GWh capacity it secured in 2022, when the government allocated 30 GWh of battery manufacturing capacity. At that time, Ola Electric Mobility was awarded 20 GWh, while Reliance and Rajesh Exports each received 5 GWh.

The 2022 auction initially aimed to distribute 50 GWh across four winners, with a total outlay of Rs 18,100 crore. However, a bidder found to be impersonating Hyundai Motors had its 20 GWh award cancelled, leaving half of the capacity unallocated. This unawarded capacity was included in the latest round of bidding.