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IIT-BHU selected as nodal centre for nat'l EV battery research

IIT-BHU selected as nodal centre for nat'l EV battery research

Time of India18-06-2025
Varanasi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), BHU has been selected as one of the seven key nodal centres under the govt of India's Mission for Advancement of High Impact Areas in
Electric Vehicles
(MAHA-EV), initiated by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation.
Chosen from among 227 proposals submitted nationwide, IIT-BHU will lead a national facility focused on battery degradation diagnostics and the development of safe, sustainable, and efficient battery systems under the project name Te-MobiX (Tropical e-Mobility Excellence). The institute has been awarded a research grant of Rs55 crore to establish the National Facility for Battery Research on its campus. The proposal was led by IIT-BHU director and battery diagnostics expert Prof Amit Patra, with participation from faculty members of IIT-BHU, IIT Kharagpur, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), and ICT Mumbai.
"This facility will span the entire spectrum of battery research—from raw materials to next-generation solutions for land, water, and air mobility," Prof Patra said. He added that the initiative aligns with India's National Mission on Transformative Mobility, the SDGs, and the EV30@2030 vision. Project investigator Prof. R.K. Singh noted that Te-MobiX will address challenges specific to India's tropical climate, focusing on improving battery safety, lifespan, and performance.
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Co-investigator Abir Ghosh emphasized the mission's collaborative model, with strong industrial partnerships including Tata Motors, TVS Motors, Urjawatt Technologies, OPAL-RT, and ThoughtSpot India Pvt. Ltd., who will contribute 10% of the total project cost and assist in real-world testing and commercialisation.
The project team at IIT-BHU includes experts from electrical, chemical, mechanical, biochemical, civil engineering, chemistry, and materials science departments, while collaborators from IIT Kharagpur, BHU, and ICT Mumbai are also playing key roles.
ANRF's MAHA-EV Mission has identified seven e-nodes in total. In the TV-I category for tropical battery and cell technologies, IIT-BHU and ARCI Hyderabad were selected.
TV-II (power electronics and drives) includes IIT Bombay, NIT Surathkal, and CSIR-CEERI Pilani. TV-III (charging infrastructure) includes IIT Kanpur and IIT Kharagpur. Each e-node will function in a consortium mode, integrating academia, research labs, and industry to accelerate innovation and establish a robust ecosystem for electric mobility in India.
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