New Delhi, India, 28:09:2023- The India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) marked a significant milestone at the World Energy Storage Day (WESD) 2023 Global Virtual Conference & Expo, where over 3,000 clean tech and EV experts hailing from 70 countries came together. This monumental gathering, featuring 100+ speakers representing 30+ countries, positions WESD as the world's largest energy storage and green mobility congregation. Against the backdrop of this global conference, experts converged to shed light on the profound transformation unfolding in India's electric vehicle (EV) landscape, echoing the call made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sustainable mobility and an eco-friendly mobility ecosystem.
Prime Minister Modi's vision underscores the urgency of redeveloping the mobility ecosystem in harmony with the environment. In his recent address, he highlighted the need for sustainable mobility solutions, emphasising the critical role of electric vehicles and energy storage technologies in achieving this goal. This vision set the stage for the conference, where experts discussed how energy storage and electric mobility can align with the Prime Minister's vision for a greener India. All the key experts from EV and clean energy supported the fact that 2 and 3 wheelers segment is going to be the game changer for EV revolution in India.
Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, Chair, WESD, Founder and President of India energy Storage Alliance and President & MD, Customized Energy Solutions (CES), India, articulated his vision for India's burgeoning electric mobility sector, stating, “India's success in scaling shared mobility and electric bus deployment can serve as a blueprint for other regions, including the Middle East and Europe. The demand for passenger cars in developed markets like Europe and the US, coupled with government incentives and regulations, positions them as the next major markets for EVs after China. Additionally, the focus on developing EV infrastructure and enabling business models by utilities in developed markets is a valuable lesson for utilities in developing countries. It underscores the role they can play in accelerating the mobility transition while creating new opportunities for themselves.”
At the World Energy Storage Day (WESD) 2023 virtual conference, a session was dedicated to discuss on the e-mobility scenario and trends in the R1 Asia Pacific region, which includes countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, China, and South Korea. Speaking on the battery swapping, Kasturi Gomatham, Global Head of Battery Swapping (E-Mobility) at Shell plc said, “Battery swapping decouples certain critical links that inherently create bottlenecks for EV adoption. For instance, the concept decouples grid from that of the dynamic EV charging needs; decouples battery from the vehicle itself - thereby enabling users to not feel the brunt of the battery upfront cost and extend vehicle life beyond that of the battery packs”.
Edwin Chow, Asia-Pacific Regional Sector Head, Auto and Engineering & Manufacturing, DHL said, “Battery supply chain requires different transportation modes and specialist storage facilities at different stages, starting from the pre-production raw material stage to the transportation of finished EVs (or ESS) to the users".
The conference's focus on e-mobility trends in the R2 region, encompassing India and SAARC nations, provided a powerful platform for stakeholders to delve into the nuances of EV adoption. “India is becoming a manufacturing hub for EVs, led by robust local manufacturing and an innovative ecosystem. Not just in terms of assembly, the country is spearheading innovation in the engineering and R&D front as well, especially in the E2W space, primarily led by the domestic demand", said Swapnil Jain, CTO of Ather Energy.
Anmol Jaggi, Founder of Blu Smart, underscored the economic benefits of electric vehicles, emphasising substantial fuel cost savings for fleet operators. "People are able to do the math and even ready to pay high to reap the benefits of the EVs, but lack of charging stations inevitable brings range anxiety", he said.
Anant Nahata, MD of Exicom Tele-Systems Limited, stressed the pivotal role of a robust charging infrastructure in India's EV adoption journey. He said "India is witnessing a lot of in-house R&D to make the products more reliable and offer higher uptime. The current focus is to be on improving the reliability of chargers and enhance remote management and servicing of EV chargers".
The platform also witnessed unique workshops emphasising the critical need for comprehensive guidelines in safety education across the entire ecosystem, from first responders to electricity inspectors. The workshops also highlighted the need to proactively establish standards to prevent potential issues, especially in battery energy storage systems. On the workforce front, experts at the workshop agreed that skilled professionals will be the linchpin of the industry's growth in the coming decade. With the rapid deployment of energy storage and mobility technologies, India need to invest in massive workforce development.
With a marathon 24-hour schedule comprising 16 sessions and 4 special sessions, the conference explored diverse facets of the industry, including stationary energy storage, e-mobility, green hydrogen, and manufacturing & supply chain. The event served as a catalyst for bilateral trade, market development, research, and innovation while fostering international collaborations and sharing best practices.
About India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA):
India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) is a leading industry alliance focused on the development of advanced energy storage, green hydrogen, and e-mobility technologies in India. Founded in 2012, by Customized Energy Solutions (CES), IESA’s vision is to make India a global hub for R&D, manufacturing, and adoption of advanced energy storage, e-mobility, and green hydrogen technologies.
The alliance has been at the forefront of efforts seminal in shaping an enabling policy framework for the adoption of energy storage, electric mobility, green hydrogen, and emerging clean technologies in India.
With close to a decade of experience, IESA provides its member network a holistic eco-system to network and grow their business in India and world over by providing in-depth analysis of the market, facilitating dialogue between industry and government stakeholders, and providing the latest skill-development training. Over the years, IESA has launched several initiatives that support its member companies to stay ahead of the curve.
Today IESA is a proud network of 160+ member companies, encompassing industry verticals from energy storage, EV manufacturing, EV charging infrastructure, green hydrogen, microgrids, power electronics, renewable energy, research institutes and universities, and cleantech startups.
IESA website: https://indiaesa.info/
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