Interested companies will have to pay a one-time technology transfer fee of Rs 1 crore
New Delhi; June 12, 2018
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), one of the major centres of ISRO, will offer in-house developed Lithium ion cell technology to Indian companies for setting up manufacturing plant in the country. Using this technology, companies can produce cells of varying size, capacity, energy density and power density catering to the entire spectrum of power storage requirements.
“This initiative is expected to enable zero emission policy of India and accelerate the development of indigenous electric vehicle industry,” said a ISRO press statement.
To qualify for the transfer of Li-ion cell technology, companies will have to fill a Request for Qualification (RFQ) form. “This RFQ document for technology transfer of Lithium-ion cells intends to qualify and shortlist suitable industries in India/Start-ups based on eligibility criteria through an open evaluation process in accordance with the procedures set out in the document,” added the release.
Presently, Lithium-ion battery is the most dominating battery system which finds applications for a variety of societal needs including mobile phones, laptops, PDA, cameras and many other portable consumer gadgets. Recent, advances in Li-ion battery technology have made it the preferred power source for electric and hybrid electric vehicles also. Li-ion cells find wide applications in electronic gadgets, telecommunication, industrial applications as well as in aerospace.
For RFQ document, companies will have to make a non-refundable payment of Rs 25,000. Along with the application, a security deposit of Rs 4 lakhs has to be submitted by each applicant. If qualified, the selected firm will have to pay a one-time technology transfer fee of Rs 1 crore within 30 days from the qualification date.
Government has been taking steps to reduce dependence on imports to fulfill India’s Li ion requirement. Last week, Raasi Group signed an MoU with CSIR’s Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI), Tamil Nadu, will begin indigenous production of Lithium ion battery in India using a technology developed by Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR).