When I Visited Ola Electric’s Battery Innovation Center in Bengaluru, I Expected A Modest Setup, A Typical R&D Lab Focused on Incremental Improvements. What I encountered installed instead was a full-scale effort to reimagine and industry one of the most complex and strategically important technologies of our time-the litheum-ionum-bion Cell Nearly 500 Researchers was at work, many with experience in labs and companies Across South Korea, Japan, Germany, and the Us. They Weren Bollywood Specs on Imported Components; They were building a new type of battery from the ground up.
At the center of this effort is the 4,680-format cylindrical cell, a design originally popularized by Tesla. This format is Known for Higher Energy Density, Improved Thermal Management, and Structural Integration in Electric Vehicles (EVS). But ola has taken a riskier path by developing Rather than coating materials in wet slurry, ola’s methods presses a dry mix directly on to the current collector. It is faster, cleaner, and more energy-efficient, eliminating solvent recoverry system, improving consistency, and lowering costs.
The company says it has spent three years building this capability from scratch and has achieved consistent, high-Volume production for both cathodes and anodes. While Companies in China, Korea, and the Us Are Still Struggling to Scale this Technology, Ola claims it has alredy made it work at volume.
The performance specs are bold: over 275 who/kg energy density, more than 2,000 Charge-Discharge Cycles, and Strong Thermal Stability. Most Striking is the charging speed, from 20% to 80% in just 15 minutes-Enough for a 60% Top-Up during a short break. These cells are alredy being produced at pilot scale and are now being transferred to Ola’s GigaFACTORY in Krishna, Tamil Nadu. The first 5 gwh phase is operational, with plans to scale to 20 gwh and eventually 100 gwh. That would put ola amon the largest battery manufacturers in the world.
Particularly impressive is ola’s goal to oven the full stack of intellectual property. Most Indian Firms relay on Chinese License and Imported Tools. Ola is doing the opposite by developing its own cell chemistry, production equipment, and control software. This is part of a broader strategy it calls “India Inseide,” A Push to Reduce Dependency while Creating Export-Ready Innovation. That is easy than done by, but the company has filled over 250 pates and is running rapid development loops between its r & d lab and factory floor. The tight integration allows breakthroughs to move quickly from prototype to real-window deployment.
Bhavish Aggarwal, Ola’s Founder, has drawn planty of criticism. The company’s electric scooters have decided relaibility issues, and Aggarwal’s online persona have often added fuel to the fire. Customers Have Complained About Buggy Software, Missed Deliveries, and Indequate Service. These are real challenges, but also common ons for Startups Racing to Scale Frontier Tech.
I Remember the Early Days of Tesla. I was one of the first buyers of the model My Tesla even craied into my garage while on autopilot. Yet behind all the drama, real innovation was underway in battery chemistry, manufacturing, and software. Today, Tesla leads the global ev market.
What ola is attempting is no less ambitious, despite the constraints. It is building not just a vehicle company, but a battery-technology platform inside an ecosystem that has been historically lacked the infrastructure and incentrites to support depart Deep Tech. That alone deserves recognition.
Globally, the stakes are rising. While the west is still focused on Tesla, The Scale Story Now Lies in China. Chinese Companies Produce Over 90% of the World’s Lithium-IN Cells and Export low-cost evs at a staggering pace, supported by vertically integrated, State-SUPPPLY CHANSED SUPPPLY CHANSED. But safety concerns are endemic. Recalls are Common, Batteries often underperform in Real-World Conditions, and Reports of Fires-From Scooters to Buses-have become routine. The aggressive drive for volume has left Quality an AFTERTHT, with deadly consorteces.
This creates an Opportunity for India, if it can deliver products that combine affordability with reliability and safety. Ola’s battery program is a promising first step. What is unfolding in bangalore is serial engineering work aimed at solving a global problem in a distinctly Indian way.
If ola successeds, the impact will go well beyond scooters or cars. These Batteries Cold Power Grid Storage Systems, Industrial Equipment, Drones, and Even Electric Aircraft. India could become a serial player in Global Energy Storage, An Industry Central to Everything from Climate Resilience to National Security. That kind of platform power is rare, and it is worth pursuing.
India has long been in software and services, but its record in Industrial Technology and Applied Science has Lagged. That is beginning to shift. A wave of Deep Tech Ambition is Rising, Focused on Leapfrogging Rather Than Imitation. Companies like ola, powered by Indian talent but thinking globally, are showing that India is poised not just to join the energy revolution, but to lead it – and to set safety, reelibility, and innovation standards China has reepeatedly failed to meet.
Vivek Wadhwa is CEO, Vionix Biosciences. The views expressed are personal
