From EVs to Grid Storage: Pune’s COEP Tech, JSW Join Hands for Rs 800 Crore Battery Project in Chikhli
Pune, 28th September 2026: COEP Technological University (COEP Tech), Pune, and JSW Projects, a JSW Group company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an Advanced Battery Research and Development Centre at COEP Tech’s Chikhali Research Park.
The proposed centre will focus on battery cell research, prototyping and pilot-scale development, including lithium-ion and other advanced battery chemistries. According to the organisations, the initiative will bring battery cell technology development to an academic campus in Pune and is intended to bridge the gap between university research and industrial applications.
The project will be developed in two phases, with a combined investment of more than ₹800 crore.
Under Phase I, a Cell Research and Development Centre will be established to design, simulate and prototype indigenous lithium-ion and other advanced chemistry cells, including sodium-ion cells. Phase II will involve scaling up the facility into a Cell Validation Centre capable of producing cells ranging from 100 Ah to 600 Ah.
The batteries developed at the centre will be targeted for applications including electric mobility, grid-scale energy storage and clean energy. The partners said the facility will focus on developing battery technologies suited to Indian climatic conditions and applications.
The collaboration will involve COEP Tech faculty and students working with JSW engineers on battery technology development, with the partners also planning joint research, publications, projects and intellectual property development.
Prof. Sunil Bhirud, Vice Chancellor of COEP Technological University, said the collaboration could help develop indigenous alternatives to imported batteries while providing students with opportunities to work on battery technologies.
He said the scale of the Phase I and Phase II collaboration made it a significant industry-academia initiative and added that the project could contribute to strengthening India’s battery technology ecosystem.
JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal said battery cells would play a central role in electric mobility and grid energy storage.
“Cell is the new oil,” Jindal said, adding that the partnership with COEP Tech would bring industry and academia together to design, test and validate battery cells for Indian conditions.
The initiative is also linked to JSW Group’s broader plans in the energy and electric mobility sectors. JSW Energy is expanding its renewable energy and battery energy storage operations, while JSW Motors is developing its electric mobility business.
The partners said the pilot-scale facility would allow technologies to be tested and validated before potential large-scale manufacturing. They also said the initiative could potentially catalyse more than 1,000 jobs across the battery ecosystem.
The project is aligned with the Government of Maharashtra’s vision for COEP Tech’s Chikhali Research Park as a hub for automotive and allied technology development, according to the organisations.
COEP Tech, established in 1854, has a 170-year history in engineering education and research. The institution began as the Poona Engineering Class and Mechanical School and later became the College of Engineering, Poona, before being renamed COEP Technological University.
The JSW Group operates across sectors including steel, energy, infrastructure, cement, paints, defence, automobiles, e-commerce, sports, realty and venture capital. JSW Steel is the group’s flagship company.
