Samsung SDI is contemplating opening a battery manufacturing plant in India.
Samsung SDI officials have met India’s telecom and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad as a follow-up of their meeting in South Korea to discuss business options.
According to Prasad, India has a growing demand for mobile phones, e-bikes, cars and other consumer durables. The minister invited Samsung SDI CEO Sang Jin Park to select any electronic manufacturing cluster for its investments and assured him support from the government.
Indian Cellular Association National President Pankaj Mahendroo said: “We are setting up a forum to encourage business of lithium-based battery in India. It will have representation from mobile phone companies, automobile, railways etc.”
In India, batteries are not covered under Information Technology Agreement 1, which allows duty free import of IT and telecom products and makes India an attractive business location.
Samsung SDI manufactures lithium-ion energy storage systems for mobile phone batteries to automotive batteries.
The South-Korean firm recently strengthened its business operations in China and formed a joint venture for energy storage systems with inverter manufacturer Sungrow.
