# COEP Tech and JSW Plan INR 800-Crore Battery R&D Centre in Pune

> COEP Technological University and JSW Projects will develop a two-phase battery R&D and cell-validation centre at Chikhali Research Park in Pune.
- **Author**: Prakash
- **Published**: 2026-09-29
- **Modified**: 2026-09-29
- **Category**: news
- **URL**: https://bestev.in/news/coep-tech-and-jsw-plan-800-crore-battery-rd-centre-in-pune-20260929

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COEP Technological University and JSW Projects have signed an agreement to establish an advanced battery research and development centre at COEP Tech's Chikhali Research Park in Pune.

The two-phase project involves a combined investment of more than INR 800 crore and is intended to build Indian capability in battery-cell design, prototyping, testing and validation.

## What the new centre will do

The planned facility will work on indigenous battery technologies, including lithium-ion, sodium-ion and other advanced chemistries. Its scope is broader than assembling imported cells into battery packs: the programme aims to develop and validate the cells themselves.

Phase I will establish a Cell Research and Development Centre focused on:

- Cell design and simulation
- Materials and chemistry research
- Prototype cell development
- Performance and safety testing
- Moving promising concepts from laboratory work toward pilot scale

Phase II will create a Cell Validation Centre with the capability to produce cells ranging from 100 Ah to 600 Ah, according to the project partners.

The ampere-hour figure describes cell capacity, but it does not by itself show the cell's energy in kilowatt-hours. That also depends on voltage. The wide planned capacity range could support research for electric mobility, stationary energy storage and industrial applications.

## Industry and university teams to work together

The partnership is expected to bring COEP Tech faculty, researchers and students together with JSW engineers. The centre is intended to support joint research, academic projects, publications and intellectual-property development.

This industry-academia model can help address a frequent gap in battery development: promising laboratory results do not automatically translate into repeatable, manufacturable and safe commercial cells. Pilot production and validation facilities are needed to test consistency, thermal performance, cycle life and suitability for real operating conditions.

## Focus on Indian conditions

Cells developed for India must cope with high ambient temperatures, dust, humidity, heavy urban use and different charging patterns. The partners have said the centre will aim to design, test and validate battery technology suited to Indian requirements.

Sodium-ion research could be particularly relevant for applications where cost, material availability and safety matter more than maximum energy density. Lithium-ion technologies will remain central because of their established supply chain and performance, but alternative chemistries can reduce dependence on a narrow group of raw materials.

## Why domestic cell R&D matters

India has expanded EV and battery-pack production, but much of the cell technology and supply chain still depends on overseas capabilities. Building domestic expertise can help manufacturers:

- Adapt cell chemistry to local climate and use cases
- Test safety and degradation before commercial deployment
- Reduce product-development cycles
- Create intellectual property in India
- Train engineers and researchers
- Support future cell manufacturing investment

The centre alone will not eliminate import dependence. Commercial success will still require competitive manufacturing scale, reliable raw-material supply, strong quality control and customers willing to adopt locally developed cells.

## Potential employment and wider impact

The partners estimate that the initiative could catalyse more than 1,000 jobs across research, engineering and the surrounding battery ecosystem. The project may also strengthen Pune's position as an automotive and engineering research hub.

For India's EV sector, the most important result will be whether the centre produces validated cell designs that reach commercial manufacturing. Key milestones to watch include completion of the first-phase laboratories, commissioning of pilot equipment, research partnerships, patents, tested cell formats and technology-transfer agreements with manufacturers.

If execution matches the ambition, the COEP-JSW centre could help connect Indian battery research with industrial-scale application--a link that is essential for a more self-reliant EV supply chain.

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