India's big battery plan is lagging behind
India launched the ACC-PLI scheme in 2021 to boost homegrown lithium-ion battery production and reduce reliance on Chinese imports.
The goal? Build 50 GWh of battery capacity by 2026 and spark a local supply chain for EVs and clean energy.
But so far, progress has been slow, with reports highlighting major roadblocks.
Only Ola Electric has made real progress
Despite ₹18,100 crore set aside for the scheme, only Ola Electric has actually built a battery plant—delivering just 1.4GWh (about 3% of the target).
About 8.6GWh is under development but delayed, while Reliance New Energy has said it will commission a 10GWh second-round award on time, and most companies missed deadlines, so no incentive money has been paid out yet.
Private investment is also way below expectations.
Job creation and import problems remain
The scheme aimed to create over a million jobs but has barely hit 1,118 due to tough rules and delays getting technical experts from abroad.
Meanwhile, India still imports almost all its battery cells—so the dream of local manufacturing powering our EV future hasn't materialized yet.