Que: Geon started as Battrixx around 2018 and rebranded to Geon last year. What prompted this move?

Ans: GEON’s journey began in 2018 as Battrixx, the future technologies division of Kabra Extrusiontechnik, with a strong focus on EV battery manufacturing. As one of India’s early and leading EV battery players, the company developed lithium-ion EV battery packs purpose-built for electric vehicles, establishing a strong and credible presence across the country’s EV ecosystem.

As India’s green energy landscape evolved, the company strategically expanded its capabilities beyond EV battery packs into energy storage and power solutions, guided by its mission to empower lives with trusted, affordable, clean energy. This evolution builds on its deep expertise in battery engineering, safety, and large-scale manufacturing, with EV batteries continuing to remain at the core of the business.

The transition from Battrixx to GEON, short for Green Energy ON, announced at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, reflects the company’s vision to establish itself as the most trusted global brand in the green energy space. While Battrixx represented the company’s strong foundation in EV battery manufacturing, GEON more accurately captures its broader role as a trusted green energy solutions partner, supporting both mobility and stationary energy needs and advancing a sustainable future for all.

With strong in-house R&D and advanced manufacturing capabilities, GEON continues to strengthen its leadership in EV battery manufacturing while extending its expertise to stationary energy storage and inverter-based systems. The rebrand underscores the company’s mission to accelerate sustainable energy adoption and supports national priorities under the Make in India and Viksit Bharat initiatives, positioning GEON as a key enabler of India’s green energy and EV ecosystems.

Que: A few months back, the company forayed into the home inverter battery market. What kind of demand do you see in this segment?

Ans: Demand for home inverter batteries continues to grow steadily, particularly in semi-urban and Tier 2–3 markets where power reliability remains inconsistent. While lead-acid batteries still dominate due to affordability, consumer preference is clearly shifting toward lithium-ion solutions driven by lower maintenance, compact design, and better lifecycle economics.

Over 60 percent of Indian households experience daily power cuts lasting 2–8 hours during peak seasons, creating a strong, non-negotiable demand for backup power solutions. Manufacturers prioritise affordability and durability, with lead-acid batteries maintaining a 78 percent market share despite lower efficiency, as their USD 150–300 price point aligns with mass-market purchasing power. This transition closely mirrors trends in the EV market, where users increasingly prioritise reliability, safety, and total cost of ownership over upfront cost.

GEON sees strong convergence between its EV battery expertise and stationary storage solutions, allowing technology learnings, such as thermal management, safety systems, and battery management software, to be applied across both segments. What we are seeing now is a gradual but clear shift in consumer preferences. Homeowners and small businesses are increasingly opting for lithium-ion inverter batteries because they are easier to use, require no maintenance, occupy less space, and offer better value over their lifetime.

With declining technology costs and improved efficiencies, energy storage solutions are becoming increasingly affordable, making their long-term economics and everyday convenience key drivers of adoption. This trend is reflected in the broader Indian energy storage market, which reached approximately 233.78 MWh in 2024 and is forecast to expand significantly in the coming years as reliability, ease of ownership, and cost-effectiveness become more important decision factors.

Que: China recently announced export restrictions on lithium battery components and artificial graphite anode materials. What kind of impact do you expect this to have on India’s BESS market?

Ans: China’s recent export restrictions highlight the interconnected yet fragile nature of the global battery supply chain, underscoring the urgency for India to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities —not only for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), but also for EV batteries and power electronics. This is particularly critical for large-scale energy storage projects, where timely and reliable access to battery cells directly impacts project execution.


From GEON’s perspective, these developments reinforce the importance of building resilience through supply chain diversification and localisation. The company’s strategy focuses on reducing over-dependence on any single geography by working with suppliers across regions, while steadily increasing local value addition. In parallel, GEON continues to strengthen its in-house Battery Management Systems (BMS), Energy Management Systems (EMS), and overall system integration capabilities that are equally vital for EV applications, where performance consistency, safety, and reliability are non-negotiable.


At a broader level, this situation highlights why India’s push to encourage domestic manufacturing through initiatives such as the PLI scheme is both timely and necessary. While building a fully localised battery ecosystem will take time, sustained policy support combined with active industry participation can help create a more resilient, self-reliant clean energy and EV ecosystem over the long term.

Que: The government has been pushing for localisation through the PLI scheme for cell manufacturing. What more do you think is required for India to move towards domestication of BESS manufacturing?

Ans: The PLI scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell manufacturing and the requirement for indigenous Energy Management Systems in VGF-supported projects are meaningful steps in the right direction for India’s BESS ecosystem. They signal a clear intent to build domestic capability across the BESS value chain rather than rely entirely on imports. That said, meaningful localisation in BESS manufacturing will require a more holistic and coordinated approach.

India needs to move faster on commissioning large-scale cell manufacturing facilities that can directly support grid-scale BESS deployments, while also creating stronger incentives for the use of domestically manufactured components in utility-scale, commercial, and industrial BESS projects. Equally important is the development of a robust testing and certification ecosystem tailored specifically for large Battery Energy Storage Systems. While standards such as BIS exist, the infrastructure required to test, validate, and certify BESS installations at scale, covering safety, performance, and lifecycle reliability, is still catching up with market needs.

Alongside infrastructure, the long-term competitiveness of India’s BESS sector will depend on sustained investment in people and innovation. Skill development across BESS design, cell and pack manufacturing, power electronics, and system integration, along with consistent support for R&D in energy storage technologies, will be critical. If policy direction, infrastructure development, and industry participation remain aligned, India has a strong opportunity to move beyond assembly-led manufacturing and emerge as a globally competitive technology leader in BESS over time.

Que: Last year, GEON announced INR 300 Crore capex, including a new facility in Chakan, Pune. Could you elaborate on the components the company will be manufacturing?

Ans: The Chakan site has been operational since 2020, and this latest addition within the same manufacturing area significantly enhances its scale, capabilities, and technological depth. Designed from the perspective of an EV battery packs manufacturer with a strong market foothold, the expanded facility features a dedicated high-voltage (HV) production line, enabling the local manufacturing of advanced EV battery packs and high-voltage systems that meet global performance and safety standards.

Beyond EV batteries, the expanded Chakan facility also supports the production of lithium-ion inverter batteries and modular, scalable Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), backed by integrated energy management systems. This allows GEON to address both mobility-led and stationary energy requirements using shared engineering, safety, and manufacturing learnings.

Through this expansion, GEON is now able to manufacture a wider range of solutions locally, including EV battery packs, lithium-ion inverter batteries, modular and containerised BESS solutions, and integrated energy management systems.

Que: On the technology front, what are the emerging technologies you expect to gain traction in India in the near future?

Ans: Lithium-ion batteries currently dominate India’s energy storage market, accounting for over 92 percent of installed BESS capacity in 2024, and are projected to grow at a 36.7 percent CAGR through 2030, driven by high energy density, declining costs, and faster deployment timelines compared to alternative technologies. Within the lithium-ion segment, LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry is increasingly preferred for grid and storage applications due to its superior safety, long cycle life, and suitability for diverse Indian operating conditions. Other lithium-ion variants, such as NMC and NCA, continue to serve applications that require higher energy density.

Beyond battery chemistry, software and systems integration will play a defining role in shaping the future of energy storage. Advanced Battery Management Systems (BMS), AI-driven predictive analytics, modular BESS architectures, and hybrid renewable-plus-storage solutions are expected to see rapid adoption as stakeholders increasingly focus on performance, reliability, and lifecycle optimisation.

While lithium-ion technology remains dominant, emerging storage technologies such as sodium-ion and flow batteries are gaining attention for niche and long-duration storage applications, with potential to expand as costs decline and validation frameworks mature.

Que: Second-life EV batteries are often discussed as a BESS solution for the C&I segment. Do you see this becoming commercially viable in India, or are the risks still too high?

Ans: Second-life EV batteries have potential, but commercial viability in India will depend heavily on safety validation, standardisation, and regulatory clarity. India’s operating environment, characterised by high ambient temperatures, variable loads, and safety sensitivity, requires very high confidence in battery performance.

At present, first-life batteries with known performance characteristics remain the preferred choice for most commercial and industrial applications. Over time, as testing standards, traceability, and circular economy frameworks evolve, second-life batteries may find selective use cases. However, widespread adoption will require careful risk management.

Que: What advice would you offer to women aspiring for leadership roles in the EV and renewable energy sector, and how can the industry better support gender diversity?

Ans: The EV and renewable energy sectors are growing rapidly and offer immense opportunities for women to build meaningful leadership careers. Today, these industries are increasingly inclusive and supportive, with organisations actively encouraging women’s leadership and creating accommodating environments that enable long-term growth. Aspiring women leaders are encouraged to build technical depth, develop strategic thinking, and lead with confidence, as the sector recognises and rewards competence, resilience, and diverse perspectives.

From an industry perspective, improving gender diversity requires intentional action. This includes building inclusive leadership pipelines, offering mentorship and sponsorship at senior levels, ensuring visibility for women leaders in technical and operational roles, and creating workplace policies that support career continuity. Diversity in leadership will be critical to building innovative, resilient, and future-ready energy systems for India.