Reliance dismisses reports of battery cell plan delay, says 2026 timeline unchanged

Reliance Industries confirmed on January 12 that its battery inventory manufacturing plans remain intact and are moving forward on schedule, countering multiple reports that the company had suspended plans to produce lithium-ion battery cells in India.

Responding to speculation that the group had halted its battery cell ambitions after it failed to secure Chinese technology, a Reliance spokesman said there had been « no change » in the company’s strategy.

« We want to categorically confirm that there has been no change in our plans to create a world-leading battery storage manufacturing ecosystem from cell to container storage ESS, and they are progressing well in line with our target timelines, » the spokesperson said.

Reliance has previously announced that commercial production of battery cells is scheduled to begin in 2026. Chairman and CEO Mukesh Ambani reiterated this roadmap at the company’s AGM in August last year, stating that the battery gigafactory will begin operations in 2026 with an initial capacity of 40 GWh per year, which will be modularly expanded to 100 GWh annually.

Updates on Reliance’s new energy businesses, including battery manufacturing, have been consistently shared in quarterly investor calls, the spokesperson added. The next update is expected to take place during the company’s Q3 earnings call on January 16.

« You will note that BESS manufacturing, battery pack manufacturing and cell manufacturing have always been part of our energy storage plans, and we are making progress in implementing them, as previously reported, » the spokesperson said.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are large systems that store electricity for later use and are critical for grid stability, renewable energy integration and backup power in residential, industrial and utility applications.

During its Q2 earnings call, Reliance had said it was rapidly building both battery and electrolysis plants. The company reiterated that its battery gigafactory will start operations in 2026, while the electrolysis 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 Q2 investor presentation, Reliance highlighted significant progress on the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex in Jamnagar, which covers 5,000 acres. According to the company, the design of its solar and battery gigafactories has been completed, procurement has been completed and equipment deliveries are expected in 2025.

The presentation also stated that Reliance is building a 30 GWh advanced battery gigafactory which is scheduled to be commissioned in a phased manner in 2025-26. The factory will initially assemble Battery Energy Storage Systems before integrating backwards into cell manufacturing and battery chemicals, creating what the company describes as the world’s only fully integrated battery gigafactory.

In addition, Reliance plans to commission a multi-gigawatt electrolysis facility as part of its green hydrogen strategy. The company has entered into a technology license agreement with Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser AS, which grants Reliance exclusive rights to manufacture and operate Nel’s alkaline electrolysers in India and for proprietary use worldwide. Reliance has also acquired Nauyaan Shipyard near Dahej to support the manufacturing and manufacturing of electrolysis equipment.