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Batteries have become pervasive in the modern economy. From the device in your hand, to electric cars and the power backup in homes and offices, we rely on batteries to provide uninterrupted supply of energy, and greater mobility to the modern tools we use. Analysis by the IEA shows that India would have one of the world’s largest markets for batteries by 2030. India, however, is a net importer of batteries and the critical minerals that make them, and this import dependence would likely increase as demand grows. Darshan Virupaksha and his team at Nunam have developed a new system for testing and guaranteeing the performance of batteries that would otherwise be sent for disposal or recycling, and repackaging them at much lower cost than new battery packs. We talked to Darshan in November 2021 about how he came to recognise the scale of the impending battery waste management challenge and how they have chosen to work with automakers turn the challenge into a business opportunity. The opportunity is large: the IEA estimates that, globally, nearly 10% of mineral demand for batteries could be met by recycled batteries by 2040 if the right conditions are in place.
The International Energy Agency is sharing the stories of the clean energy innovators who are vital to addressing the world’s energy and climate challenges and take us a net zero emissions future.
This season of Innovation Frontlines focuses on innovators and entrepreneurs in India, featuring in-depth and personal interviews with founders of clean energy technology start-ups. Each episode helps illuminate a different part of the technology challenge: What is the right business model for batteries in a country like India? How do you raise financing for a new fuel cell invention? Where are the opportunities in international value chains? How can technology and social entrepreneurship work together?