80% Charge In Just 6 Minutes: Here’s Everything You Need To Know About India’s New Sodium-Ion Battery (Image:X/PIB_India)

In what could mark a paradigm shift in battery technology, researchers at Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have unveiled a groundbreaking sodium-ion battery that charges up to 80% in just six minutes and lasts for over 3,000 charge cycles.

This development not only challenges the global dominance of lithium-ion batteries but also holds the promise of a more sustainable, affordable, and safer future for electric vehicles (EVs) and large-scale energy storage.

Developed by a team led by Prof. Premkumar Senguttuvan and PhD scholar Biplab Patra, the battery is based on a refined version of NASICON-type chemistry, a class of polyanionic materials already recognized in electrochemical systems.

But what sets this battery apart is its performance: enhanced through a smart blend of material engineering and nanotechnology.

The team optimised the anode material using three critical innovations like shrinking particles to the nanoscale, enabling faster ion movement, wrapping the particles in a thin carbon coat  to improve conductivity and stability and incorporating aluminum into the anode material for added structural integrity and speed.

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Together, these tweaks enabled rapid charge acceptance and durability, two of the most sought-after features in next-generation batteries.

Why Sodium, Not Lithium?

Lithium-ion batteries have powered the modern tech and EV revolution, but they come with several issues:

• High cost of materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel,

• Limited reserves concentrated in a few countries, including the “Lithium Triangle” (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile),

• Environmental concerns due to mining and fire risks in storage and transport.

In contrast, sodium is abundant, cost-effective, and can be extracted from seawater.

The battery also uses aluminum instead of copper, further reducing costs. Unlike lithium, sodium-ion batteries can be stored and transported at zero volts, making them inherently safer.

This innovation comes at a time when the global lithium supply chain is heavily dominated by China, which not only controls a significant portion of lithium processing but also houses battery giants like CATL and BYD.

With India accelerating its shift to electric mobility and renewable energy, this indigenous development could significantly reduce dependence on imported battery technologies.

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JNCASR’s development is currently in the research stage, but the commercial possibilities are growing rapidly. In February 2025, KPIT Technologies announced the transfer of its own sodium-ion battery tech,  offering 3,000 to 6,000 charge cycles and fast charging — to Trentar Energy Solutions, signaling rising interest from the private sector.

Meanwhile, IIT Bombay researchers have been reportedly working on solving stability issues in sodium-ion cathodes, another critical piece of the puzzle.

Though still emerging, sodium-ion batteries are being tested in low-range EVs in countries like China, with companies like Volkswagen also experimenting with the technology.

This innovation may just be the jolt the world has been waiting for  a faster, cheaper, and cleaner way to power our future.

However, sodium-ion batteries are not without drawbacks:

• Lower energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries,

• Less form factor flexibility, meaning they’re harder to shape into various battery types (e.g., cylindrical, pouch cells),

• Historically shorter lifespans (though JNCASR’s innovation addresses this),

• Nascent supply chains, leading to higher initial costs.

But as research like JNCASR’s progresses, many of these challenges are expected to be overcome, potentially placing India at the forefront of global battery innovation.