ELI - 531 | How This Indian Startup is Making EV Batteries from Crop Waste | Nexus Power

In this episode of ELI Podcast, we host Nikita Baliarsingh, the co-founder of Nexus Power, a startup revolutionizing the energy industry by building rechargeable, bio-organic, and biodegradable batteries from crop residue.Nikita shares the incredible journey of how she and her twin sister, Nishita, pivoted from wanting to build electric cars to solving the biggest bottleneck in the EV industry: the battery. We dive deep into how they utilized crop waste (stubble) to create a sustainable alternative to Lithium-ion batteries, effectively tackling both the E-waste crisis and air pollution caused by stubble burning.In this conversation, we discuss:The transition from management graduates to biotech entrepreneurs.The technical specs: Energy density vs. Lithium-ion.The focus on Stationary Energy Storage (BESS) and 2-Wheeler EVs.Government grants, patents, and the roadmap to commercialization.If you are interested in CleanTech, Sustainability, and the future of Electric Vehicles in India, this episode is for you!00:00 - Introduction: Nikita Baliarsingh & Nexus Power 01:01 - Background: From Business Family to Bio-Tech \02:10 - The Origin Story: Why Pivot from Cars to Batteries? 03:24 - The Problem with Lithium & The Bio-Material Solution 04:40 - Tackling Stubble Burning: Batteries from Crop Waste 05:20 - The First Experiment: Building a Battery at Home during COVID 06:55 - Scaling Up: From 2 Sisters to a Team of 40 08:14 - Applications: 2-Wheelers vs. Stationary Energy Storage 11:14 - Tech Deep Dive: Energy Density vs. Lithium-ion 14:04 - Market Strategy: Filling the Supply-Demand Gap 15:35 - Government Support, Grants & Validation 18:35 - Intellectual Property: Patents on Material & Process 20:11 - Funding Journey: Bootstrapping to VCs 21:47 - Future Vision: Commercialization & Going Global 22:58 - Can India Beat China in Battery Technology?