The Case for Sodium-Ion Technology – Rethinking Battery Strategy in India
iasparliament
February 07, 2026
Mains: GS III – Science & Technology
Why in News?
In recent days, the Sodium-ion batteries present a promising alternative to Lithium-ion batteries.
What are batteries?
Battery – It is an electrochemical device that stores chemical energy and converts it into electrical energy to power devices.
Components – It consists of one or more cells—containing an anode, cathode, and electrolyte—that produce electric current through chemical reactions.
Cells vs. Battery – While a "cell" is the basic unit, a "battery" historically refers to multiple cells connected in series or parallel to increase voltage or capacity.
Dominance of Lithium-Ion Batteries – Among various battery chemistries such as lead-acid and nickel-cadmium, lithium-ion batteries have emerged as the dominant global technology.
Their dominance is driven by high energy density, low self-discharge rates, and long cycle life.
Sustained global investment over two decades has improved lithium-ion performance, manufacturing efficiency, and scale.
By 2024, global lithium-ion manufacturing capacity reached nearly 2.5 times annual demand.
Battery costs declined sharply from around $1,100 per kWh in the early 2010s to about $108 per kWh in 2025 due to economies of scale.
Structural Challenges of Lithium-Ion Technology – Lithium-ion batteries are highly resource-intensive and depend on critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite.
The availability of these minerals is unevenly distributed across a limited number of countries.
Refining and processing capacities are even more geographically concentrated.
These factors create vulnerabilities related to supply security, price volatility, and geopolitical risk.
Rising global battery demand is likely to intensify these constraints, necessitating alternative technologies.
India’s Battery Manufacturing Ambitions and Constraints – India has taken steps to build domestic battery manufacturing capacity through the Production Linked Incentive scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cells launched in 2021.
Around 40 GWh of battery manufacturing capacity has been allocated under the scheme so far.
Actual deployment remains limited, with just over 1 GWh commissioned to date.
India’s upstream ecosystem, including raw material extraction, mineral processing, and active material manufacturing, remains underdeveloped.
Domestic lithium reserves are limited and not yet commercially viable.
As a result, India’s dependence on imports for lithium-ion batteries is likely to continue.
How sodium-ion batteries serve as an alternative?
Energy security – Sodium-ion batteries present a promising alternative that can reduce material risk and enhance energy security.
Adjustable specific energy – Sodium-ion batteries have lower specific energy than lithium-ion batteries due to sodium’s higher atomic mass.
However, this energy density gap can be narrowed by reducing the mass of other cell components.
Specific energy is defined as the energy per unit mass.
Layered transition-metal oxide sodium-ion cathodes already demonstrate higher specific energy than other sodium-based chemistries.
These sodium-ion batteries are approaching the specific energy of lithium iron phosphate batteries.
Although volumetric energy density remains lower, ongoing optimisation is expected to reduce this gap further.
Safety Advantages – Safety represents a major advantage of sodium-ion batteries over lithium-ion batteries.
Studies show that sodium-ion cells exhibit significantly lower peak temperatures during thermal runaway events.
Lithium-ion batteries are classified as dangerous goods and must be transported at a limited state of charge.
These restrictions increase logistical complexity and costs due to safety risks associated with copper current collectors.
Sodium-ion batteries use aluminium current collectors on both electrodes, avoiding such risks.
Sodium-ion cells can be safely stored and transported at zero volts without performance degradation.
Manufacturing Compatibility – Sodium-ion batteries are largely compatible with existing lithium-ion manufacturing infrastructure.
Lithium-ion production lines can be adapted to sodium-ion manufacturing with relatively minor modifications.
The main process difference lies in stricter moisture control during cell preparation.
While sodium-ion cells require deeper vacuum drying, these challenges are expected to reduce with advancements in manufacturing techniques.
This compatibility lowers capital investment barriers and enables manufacturers to hedge against supply risks.
Lower Material Risk and Supply Chain Resilience – Sodium is derived from abundantly available resources such as soda ash, which are geographically widespread.
Several sodium-ion chemistries eliminate the need for critical minerals like cobalt, nickel, and copper.
Aluminium current collectors used in sodium-ion batteries are cheaper, lighter, and more widely available than copper.
These features reduce exposure to commodity price volatility and improve supply chain resilience for India.
Strategic Importance – Sodium-ion batteries are not merely experimental but are emerging as commercially viable technologies.
Cost projections indicate that sodium-ion batteries could become cheaper than lithium-ion batteries by 2035.
Around 70 GWh of sodium-ion manufacturing capacity is already operational globally as of 2025.
Global capacity is expected to scale up to nearly 400 GWh by 2030.
Early engagement with sodium-ion technology is therefore strategically important for India.
What lies ahead?
Public support for battery infrastructure should explicitly include sodium-ion chemistries.
Incentive frameworks should encourage flexibility so that battery plants can manufacture both lithium-ion and sodium-ion cells.
Standards, safety codes, and certification pathways must be updated to include sodium-ion batteries.
EV manufacturers should be encouraged to type-test and approve vehicle platforms using sodium-ion batteries.
Targeted public funding for R&D, pilot projects, and early deployment should focus on grid storage and small EV segments.
India’s growing reliance on batteries makes energy storage a strategic concern for economic and energy security.
Continued dependence on lithium-ion batteries exposes structural vulnerabilities linked to critical minerals and imports.
Sodium-ion batteries offer safety, material availability, manufacturing compatibility, and supply resilience advantages.
By aligning industrial policy, regulation, and market incentives, India can build a future-ready battery ecosystem in which sodium-ion technology plays a central role.
