Indian scientists design fast charging sodium-ion battery
New Delhi: A research team at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has developed a super-fast charging sodium-ion battery (SIB), it was announced.
A battery built on sodium instead of lithium could help the country to become self-reliant in energy storage technology — a key goal of the Indian government's Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.
This is based on a 'NASICON-type' cathode and anode material, that can charge up to 80 per cent in just six minutes and lasts over 3,000 charge cycles.
Unlike conventional SIBs that suffer from sluggish charging and short lifespan, this new battery uses a clever mix of chemistry and nanotechnology.
The scientists led by Professor Premkumar Senguttuvan and PhD scholar Biplab Patra, engineered a novel material for the anode and optimised it in three critical ways -- shrinking the particles to nanoscale, wrapping them in a thin carbon coat, and improving the anode material by adding a small amount of aluminium.
These tweaks made sodium ions move faster and more safely, enabling both speed and durability.
In a world racing towards electrification—from cars to villages—one thing remains crucial: affordable, fast, and safe batteries. While lithium-ion batteries have powered this revolution so far, they are costly.
Besides, lithium resources are limited and geopolitically constrained.
However, scientists in Bengaluru may have just found a powerful alternative.
Beyond just cost, these sodium-ion batteries could power everything from electric vehicles and solar grids to drones and rural homes, making clean energy accessible where it's needed the most.
The technology has been tested and validated through high-end methods, including electrochemical cycling and quantum simulations.
What makes it especially exciting is that it not only supports rapid charging but also avoids the fire and degradation risks of traditional batteries.
While more development is needed before these batteries hit the market, the discovery marks a significant step forward, said the ministry.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Indian astronaut Shukla Axiom-4 mission set for June 10 lift-off, dock at ISS after 28-hour flight
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are set to embark on Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10 and are likely to dock at the International Space Station on June 11 at about 10 PM IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey. Mr. Shukla, the mission pilot of the Axiom-4 (Ax4) commercial mission to the ISS, will be accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson and specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland. The Axiom-4 mission will mark India's return to space 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz mission in 1984. "The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 p.m. EDT (10:00 p.m. IST), Wednesday, June 11," NASA said in a statement. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan visited Axiom Space last week to review the preparations for the spaceflight. The astronauts have been in quarantine since May 25 to prepare for the trip and have been training ahead of the launch on June 10. "The #Ax4 crew undergoes extensive emergency training, featuring a range of scenarios such as underwater escape drills," Axiom Space said in a post on X, and shared a video of the training programme. During the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders, among others. Earlier this week, the crew addressed a press conference to give an update on the training ahead of the launch. "We are good for the launch, we have completed all the training and the team has bonded well," Mr. Whitson said on Tuesday (June 3, 2025). Mr. Shukla described the year-long training for the spaceflight as "nothing short of transformative". "It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come. As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts," Mr. Shukla said. Mr. Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA. The experiments aim to pioneer space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems vital for future long-duration space travel. ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Mr. Shukla, who will also participate in five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program. It has drawn up plans to focus on India-centric food for carrying out experiments on the ISS, including sprouting methi (Fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity conditions. Mr. Shukla will also expose the seeds to the macrobiotic conditions and bring them back to earth, where they will be cultivated into plants not just once but over generations. Mr. Shukla's experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the Gaganyaan mission, which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending ₹550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 Mission set for launch on June 10
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are set to embark on the Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10 and are likely to dock at the International Space Station on June 11 at about 10 PM IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey. Shukla, the mission pilot of the Axiom-4 (Ax4) commercial mission to the ISS, will be accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson and specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland. The Axiom-4 mission will mark India's return to space 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz mission in 1984. "The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 (10:00 p.m. IST), Wednesday, June 11," NASA said in a statement. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan visited Axiom Space last week to review the preparations for the spaceflight. The astronauts have been in quarantine since May 25 to prepare for the trip and have been training ahead of the launch on June 10. "The #Ax4 crew undergoes extensive emergency training, featuring a range of scenarios such as underwater escape drills," Axiom Space said in a post on X, and shared a video of the training programme. During the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders among others. Earlier this week, the crew addressed a press conference to give an update on the training ahead of the launch. "We are good for the launch, we have completed all the training and the team has bonded well," Whitson said on Tuesday. Shukla described the year-long training for the spaceflight as "nothing short of transformative". "It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come. As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts," Shukla said. Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA. The experiments aim to pioneer space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems vital for future long-duration space travel. ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Shukla, who will also participate in five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program. It has drawn up plans to focus on India-centric food for carrying out experiments on the ISS, including sprouting methi (Fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity conditions. Shukla will also expose the seeds to the macrobiotic conditions and bring them back to earth where they will be cultivated into plants not just once but over generations. Shukla's experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the Gaganyaan mission which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending Rs 550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Vietnamese automaker VinFast bets big on India's fledgling EV market
VinFast, the first automaker from Vietnam to expand into the global market, is set to make inroads into the Indian EV space with production at its plant in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district set to begin in July. The Vietnamese car brand, which currently sells its products in 16 countries across North America, Europe and Asia, will manufacture the VF7 and VF6 models in Thoothukudi, for which bookings will open in June. Company sources said the production capacity will be 50,000 vehicles per year initially, with the potential to reach 1,50,000 to meet future demand. 'India is a promising and growing market. EV adoption is comparatively low; so, we decided to take this opportunity to enter the market,' VinFast Asia CEO Pham Sanh Chau said. Mr. Chau said VinFast wanted to position itself as a manufacturer of premium EVs with competitive pricing and excellent after-sales service. When asked about its USP, Mr. Chau said, 'We don't want to just sell cars. We want to bring in the whole EV ecosystem.' He said VinFast would build a network of dealers/showrooms, authorised repair shops and charging points; promote green mobility; and facilitate buy-back or swapping of old cars with newer models. Stressing the importance of localisation, he said it helped companies bring down cost, secure government incentives, and be more competitive. VinFast was committed to localisation, he said, adding that it was already sourcing some products from Indian suppliers. Dismissing the notion that EVs were too expensive for the common man, he said it may be the case with some brands, but not all. Mr. Chau said the switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to EVs was irreversible. 'I believe that one day, we all will be using EVs, and all gas stations will be turned into charging points. The future of EVs is bright,' he said. Mr. Chau, who previously served as Ambassador of Vietnam to India, was optimistic about the development of ties between the two countries. 'It [bilateral trade] has reached $15 billion. I hope it will grow to $20 billion,' he said. 'Our activities and investments in India will deepen the economic ties between the two countries. We are bringing the largest investment from Vietnam into India now,' he added. Quoting former Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, who said the relationship between India and Vietnam was 'as clear as the blue sky without any clouds', Mr. Chau said cooperation between the two countries will continue irrespective of geopolitical challenges. (The writer was in Hanoi on the invitation of VinFast.)
