#85 Dr. Priyadarshi Panda: From Molecules to Batteries Powering a Cleaner Future

Dr. Priyadarshi Panda is the founder and CEO of International Battery Company (IBC), a lithium-ion product company that works “from molecule to working product.” In this episode, he and Federico explore how his journey from small molecules and particle materials to 22 nm chip problems at Intel led him to building batteries that power the energy transition.Dr. Panda explains why chemical engineering attracted him early: it touches everything from pharmaceuticals and packaging to semiconductors and now batteries—always with real products that improve people’s lives. Through IIT Kanpur, MIT, and roles at Intel, Lam Research, Applied Materials, and iM3NY, he built a deep toolkit in materials, physics, and high-volume manufacturing that now underpins IBC.He breaks down what IBC actually does across three verticals:- Innovates and enables critical battery materials (cathode, anode, separator, electrolyte) with a strong ex-China, FEOC-compliant supply-chain focus.- Turns those materials into drop-in electrochemical devices that any major cell maker can integrate into their existing lines.- Builds prismatic battery products tailored to real use cases, currently deployed commercially in India and now moving into the U.S.Dr. Panda and Federico dive into battery form factors (cylindrical, pouch, prismatic), how they affect pack complexity, heat, and performance, and why prismatic cells are becoming dominant for large packs. They discuss the need to diversify away from a China-centric ecosystem and how IBC gives global “mad scientists” a path from lab to validated product.He shares the story of IBC’s Prabal cells for two-wheelers in India—going from concept to commercial deployment in under 18 months—and offers candid advice to young engineers: be fearless, focus on value not valuation, and design for scale from day one.If you care about EVs, climate tech, or the future of energy storage, Dr. Priyadarshi Panda offers a rare, practical look at how batteries really get built—and how they can change the world.About Priyadarshi Panda:- https://ibcbatt.com/- https://www.linkedin.com/in/pdpanda/About Federico Ramallo ✨👨‍💻🌎🚀 Software Engineering Manager | 🛠 Founder of DensityLabs.io & PreVetted.ai | 🤝 Connecting 🇺🇸 U.S. teams with top nearshore 🌎 LATAM engineers- 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/framallo/- 🌐 https://densitylabs.io- ✅ https://prevetted.ai🎙 PreVetted Podcast 🎧📡- 🎯 https://prevetted.ai/podcast- 🐦 https://x.com/PrevettedPod- 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/prevetted-podcast00:00 Introduction to Dr. Pritayarshi Panda and IBC01:58 Journey into Chemical Engineering and Climate Solutions05:14 Overview of International Battery Company (IBC)11:14 Innovations in Lithium-Ion Battery Technology19:39 Challenges in Diversifying Battery Manufacturing24:56 The Role of Philanthropy in Climate Innovation27:42 The Future of Lithium-Ion Chemistry35:11 From Lab to Market: Bridging the Gap42:08 Success Story: Prabalthausen's Journey48:50 Advice for Young Innovators54:40 The Future of Electric Vehicles