Reliance dismisses reports of delay in battery cell plan, says 2026 timetable intact

Reliance Industries reaffirmed on January 12 that its storage battery manufacturing plans remain unchanged and are progressing as planned, fending off several reports suggesting the company has suspended its plans to produce lithium-ion battery cells in India.

Responding to speculation that the conglomerate had pulled the plug on its battery cell ambitions after failing to secure Chinese technology, a Reliance spokesperson said there had been “no change” in the company’s strategy.

“We would like to categorically state that there has been no change in our plans to create a world-leading battery storage manufacturing ecosystem, from cells to containerized ESS, and that they are progressing well in line with our set timelines,” the spokesperson said.

Reliance had previously indicated that commercial manufacturing of battery cells is expected to begin in 2026. Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani reiterated this roadmap at the company’s annual general meeting in August last year, stating that the giga battery factory would start operations in 2026 with an initial capacity of 40 GWh per year, which will be scaled up in a modular manner up to 100 GWh per year.

The spokesperson added that updates on Reliance’s new energy businesses, including battery manufacturing, were regularly shared during quarterly investor calls. The next update is expected during the company’s third-quarter earnings conference call, scheduled for January 16.

“You will notice that BESS manufacturing, battery manufacturing and cell manufacturing have always been part of our energy storage plans, and we are progressing well in executing them, as already shared earlier,” the spokesperson said.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are large-scale systems that store electricity for later use and are essential for grid stability, renewable energy integration, and backup power in residential, industrial, and utility applications.

While releasing its second-quarter results, Reliance said it was rapidly building its massive battery and electrolyzer factories. The company reiterated that its battery gigafactory will begin operations in 2026, while the electrolyzer gigafactory is expected to be operational by the end of 2026, with a scalable capacity of up to 3 GW per year to support cost-competitive green hydrogen production.

In its second quarter investor presentation, Reliance highlighted significant progress made in the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex in Jamnagar, which is spread over 5,000 acres. The company said engineering for its massive solar and battery plants was complete, purchases were finalized and equipment deliveries were expected in 2025.

The presentation also noted that Reliance is building a 30 GWh advanced battery gigafactory, which is planned for phased commissioning during 2025-2026. The facility will initially assemble battery energy storage systems before integrating upstream into the manufacturing of battery cells and chemicals, creating what the company describes as the world’s only fully integrated battery gigafactory.

Additionally, Reliance plans to operationalize a multi-gigawatt electrolyzer facility as part of its green hydrogen strategy. The company has entered into a technology licensing agreement with Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser AS, granting Reliance an exclusive license to manufacture and use Nel’s alkaline electrolysers in India and for global captive use. Reliance also acquired the Nauyaan shipyard near Dahej to support the manufacturing and manufacture of electrolysers.