MUMBAI – Anant Ambani, Executive Director of Reliance Industries, declared at the company's Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2026 that global access to critical battery cell technology is being 'weaponised'. He underscored the strategic necessity for India to achieve self-reliance in this sector, citing the company's ambitious gigafactory project as a key component of national resilience.
Reliance's Gigafactory: A Strategic Imperative
Ambani emphasized that establishing world-scale battery manufacturing capacity in India transcends a mere business decision. “In a world where supply chains are being contested and access to technology is being weaponised, building world scale battery manufacturing capacity in India is not merely a business decision. It is a strategic imperative for national resilience,” he stated. This assertion follows recent moves by nations, including China, to impose export controls and restrictions on battery cell technology access.
Progress on Battery Manufacturing Facilities
Reliance New Energy is rapidly advancing its battery cell gigafactory. The first phase, boasting a 40 gigawatt-hour (GWh) annual capacity, is in advanced stages of commissioning. Civil construction for the facility is complete, and all necessary equipment for cell production has been delivered and is currently being installed. The company anticipates commissioning this initial phase within the current year.
Looking ahead, Reliance has committed to a significant expansion, aiming to scale the gigafactory's annual capacity to an impressive 120 GWh. While a specific timeline for this expansion was not provided, Ambani noted that this scale would position Reliance among the world's largest manufacturers of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
Focus on LFP Chemistry and PLI Scheme
The company's production strategy for the second half of 2026 will focus on LFP chemistry, targeting both utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and mobility applications. Initially, Reliance plans to assemble battery packs before transitioning to direct cell manufacturing.
Reliance Industries previously secured 15 GWh of cell capacity under the Indian government's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage, a program valued at ₹18,100 crore. Reports in May suggested that Reliance was in discussions with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), a prominent Chinese battery cell manufacturer, to procure components for its gigafactory.