Ola Electric enters $12 bn energy storage market with home batteries

 Ola Electric enters $12 bn energy storage market with home batteries.

on Thursday launched home battery systems priced Rs 30,000 and up, entering India’s Rs 1 trillion ($12 billion) energy storage market as the electric vehicle manufacturer seeks revenue diversification beyond two-wheelers.

 

The company expects battery consumption for storage systems to reach 5 gigawatt-hours (Gwh) in a few years, potentially exceeding automotive use. Ola will use its cell manufacturing and distribution infrastructure for the systems, ensuring no additional capital expenditure.

 

The home batteries, branded Ola Shakti, utilise the same 4680 cell technology deployed in the company’s electric scooters and will be sold through its 4,000-store network. Deliveries begin in January 2026, with the storage market projected to reach Rs 3 trillion ($36 billion) by 2030.

 

India doesn't face an energy shortage; it faces an energy storage opportunity,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, chairman and managing director of Ola Electric. “It is a natural next step for us as we leverage our existing 4680 cell technology, Gigafactory production capabilities, and nationwide Ola network as a ready sales and distribution backbone — ensuring rapid scale without any incremental investment."

 

Ola Shakti is the first residential battery energy storage system (Bess) in India, said the company. It is fully designed, engineered, and manufactured in the country using the advanced 4680 Bharat Cell using the firm’s automotive battery packs. The modular design of Ola Shakti allows for multi-directional stacking and easy scalability. The compact form factor ensures simple home installation and easy servicing with accessible air filters.

The system is available at introductory prices in four configurations: 1kW/1.5kWh at Rs 29,999; 1kW/3kWh at Rs 55,999; 3kW/5.2kWh at Rs 1,19,999; and 6kW/9.1kWh at Rs 1,59,999. The system can power air conditioners, refrigerators, induction cookers, farm pumps, and communication equipment, with charging times as fast as two hours and backup capacity of up to 1.5 hours on full load.

 

Ola Shakti delivers automotive-grade safety, efficiency of up to 98 per cent, and zero running and maintenance costs, said the company. Unlike conventional lead-acid inverters or diesel generators, Shakti features instant changeover time and operates across a wide input voltage range.

India’s power infrastructure faces critical challenges including transmission bottlenecks, delayed grid expansion, and regulatory hurdles. Over 50GW of renewable capacity remains stranded, limiting integration and increasing costs, according to industry sources. Rising electricity demand and grid instability fuel growing residential demand for reliable backup power solutions. Addressing these issues is vital for India’s clean energy transition.

 

Ola Shakti marks Ola’s entry into India’s ₹1-lakh-crore residential battery energy storage system (BESS) market, projected to exceed ₹3 lakh crore by 2030.

BESS Gigafactory consumption expected to scale to 5 GWh, surpassing EV demand within a few years.

India’s first residential BESS, fully designed, engineered, and manufactured domestically using indigenous 4680 Bharat Cells.

Leverages Ola’s 4680 cell technology, Gigafactory, and pan-India network — enabling rapid scale-up with zero incremental capex or R&D.

Launched in 1.5, 3, 5.2, and 9.1 kWh variants at introductory prices of ₹29,999, ₹55,999, ₹1,19,999, and ₹1,59,999 (first 10,000 units).

Pre-orders open today at ₹999; deliveries begin on Makar Sankranti 2026.

Japanese team to visit India to aid battery industry with technology

Bootstrapped Pakistan has been slapped with 11 new conditions by theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) for the release of its next tranche of bailout programme. One of the conditions ties Pakistan’s access to the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) to its efforts to tackle climate change and promote clean energy for long-term economic stability. And Pakistan looks no further than its 'iron brother' China to meet this need.

 

Lucky Cement, one of Pakistan’s largest cement manufacturers, now has Chinese wind turbines and solar panels supplying over half of its energy needs at its Karachi plant. This shift has significantly reduced the company’s carbon footprint, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 60,000 tonnes annually, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

Chinese solar panel prices have dropped sharply in recent years, while electricity costs from Pakistan’s grid have risen. In response, Islamabad imported solar panels with a total capacity of around 19 GW last year, the Financial Times quoted Jenny Chase, lead solar analyst at BloombergNEF, as saying. She estimates Pakistan is still importing panels capable of generating 1GW to 3GW each month this year—enough to power a city of millions.

 

China's role in Pakistan's energy transition

At the heart of this renewable energy transition is China, which has been Pakistan’s largest investor in the energy sector. Since 2005, China has invested over $68 billion in Pakistan, with energy projects accounting for 74 per cent of that total.