India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP), Chennai, to collaborate on activities that will foster and support innovations and entrepreneurship ecosystem at IITMRP.
The MoU was signed between Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, President, IESA, and Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President, IITMRP on July 8, 2022.
As a part of the newly forged partnership, IESA and IIT MRP will undertake the following activities:
- Mentorship: The partners will provide access to domain experts (not limiting to energy storage, e-mobility, microgrid, and related domains) to startups incubated by and associated with both parties. The domain experts may mentor the startup based on domain interest, experience, and expertise.
- Training & Workshop: The partners will co-organize events including training, seminars, and workshops (technical and non-technical themes) in the area of energy storage, e-mobility, microgrid, and related domains. IESA will help IITMRP to identify relevant speakers and trainers for such events.
- Incubation Support: IITMRP will consider supporting startups identified by IESA through their own startup competitions, training, and workshops. IITMRP may consider providing incubation support (physical or virtual) to select to the identified startup subject to the availability of space and in line with IITMRP regulations.
- Industry Exposure and Connect: To provide industry support and market access to incubatees, the partners may consider incubatees from the energy storage and e-mobility background which are at the final stage/ year of incubation to join IESA under the startup category.
- Outreach: The two entities shall act like outreach partners to support the startup events conducted by either or both parties.
5th Masterclass
IESA is currently conducting the “5th Masterclass on Advanced Energy Storage Manufacturing” at IITMRP to support Battery Giga factories and supply chain ecosystem development in India. The three-day Masterclass began on Thursday, July 7, and will conclude on Saturday, July 9. The masterclass aims to equip industry leaders with emerging advanced energy storage manufacturing technology skills needed for the green industries.
Rapidly evolving technology
Advanced energy storage is a swiftly evolving technology sector crucial for 21st-century electricity grids. Battery Energy Storage (BESS) will play an important role in accelerating electricity and transportation decarbonization in India. The Indian Energy Storage market is gearing up for large-scale adoption. Advanced energy storage technologies can play an important role in renewable integration, energy access, electric mobility, and the smart city initiatives of the government. Global battery manufacturers are responding with massive expansion plans, taking total capacity to more than 6,000 GWh by 2030 across 300 manufacturing facilities across the globe. It also presents an opportunity for supply chain companies to enter raw materials exploration, chemical processing, supply chain, and components business to support these giga factories.
Featured photograph shows Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, President, IESA (right) signing the MoU with Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President, IITMRP in Chennai.
