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Tata Motors PV CEO expects Indian EV battery cell manufacturing to start within a year

By Eve

Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director and CEO of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said domestic cell manufacturing should begin within one year, with cathodes, anodes and active materials developing over the next two to three years. Speaking at Autocar Professional's India EV Conclave 2026, he noted that pack components such as cooling plates and busbars are already made in India, while cells remain a major import dependency. Critical minerals are expected to stay import dependent.

Why it matters

Localised cell supply could eventually shift vehicle cost, availability and lead times in India, which shapes EV demand and the charging utilisation that CPOs plan around. Procurement teams should treat the timelines as an executive expectation rather than a confirmed production schedule, and watch for actual plant start dates.

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Original title
“India's EV Battery Cells Could Be Localised in 2-3 Years: Shailesh Chandra”
Published
3 November 2026

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