New Delhi: In a major step toward improving the safety, quality, and global competitiveness of electric vehicles (EVs), India is preparing to introduce its own Battery Passport system. The initiative, currently being discussed by Niti Aayog in consultation with various ministries and government departments, aims to digitally record and track comprehensive information about every EV battery used in the country, reports The Times of India.
Under the proposed system, each battery will be assigned a unique digital identity, similar to an Aadhaar number, embedded within a QR code. This code will include details such as the battery’s origin, performance data, chemical composition, manufacturing date, supply chain information, and end-of-life status. By scanning the QR code, users, including EV owners, regulators, and battery recyclers, will be able to access critical data instantly.
As per the news report, according to officials familiar with the plan, the battery passport will help India address key concerns that have emerged with the rapid rise of electric mobility, particularly those related to battery safety and performance. The urgency for such a system grew following a series of fire incidents involving electric two-wheelers and cars. Investigations found that in some cases, manufacturers had assembled battery packs using cells of different ages, creating imbalanced modules that posed a risk of overheating and reduced performance.
“When cells made in different years are joined together, the newer ones bear more load, while the older cells are near expiry. This imbalance can affect performance and cause safety hazards,” The Times of India reported quoting a source familiar to the matter,
Once implemented, the battery passport system will help ensure that cells used within a battery pack are from the same production batch or year, thereby improving consistency and reducing the risk of failure. It will also support battery swapping policies by allowing users to verify the condition and history of swappable batteries through a simple scan.
The move is also expected to enhance India’s EV export potential, especially as countries tighten regulations around battery transparency and sustainability. The European Union, for example, passed the Battery Regulation in 2023, requiring every industrial or EV battery with a capacity over 2 kWh to have a digital battery passport from February 1, 2027. The EU’s passport system will require detailed inputs from across the battery value chain—from mining and refining companies to recyclers—and information will be selectively shared with the public, regulators, and battery lifecycle service providers.
Officials in India believe a similar system will help the country stay aligned with global standards. “This move will help achieve three major goals: trade, safety, and quality,” an official said. Given that batteries account for around 40% of the cost of an electric vehicle, offering transparency and trust in battery performance will be essential for consumer confidence and long-term growth of the sector.
With India offering incentives to global EV manufacturers to set up production facilities and export from the country, the battery passport could become a key element in the nation’s evolving EV ecosystem.
