Energy storage technology company Cygni Energy Private Limited announced on Monday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indus Towers to collaborate on sourcing energy storage solutions for telecom infrastructure in India. According to reports from Business Standard, this strategic partnership represents a significant step in addressing the evolving energy requirements of India's telecom sector, with the collaboration specifically designed to support one of the world's largest passive telecom infrastructure companies. The partnership represents a growing collaboration between technology developers, infrastructure providers, and manufacturing companies, particularly as India strengthens the integration of its digital and energy infrastructure.
Under the MoU, the two companies will collaborate to establish Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) manufacturing capacity of up to 1.5 GWh to meet the evolving energy requirements of telecom infrastructure in India. As reported by Business Standard, this manufacturing initiative is designed to support one of the world's largest passive telecom infrastructure companies with advanced energy storage solutions. The proposed collaboration includes plans to establish BESS manufacturing capacity of up to 1.5 GWh to meet the changing energy requirements of telecom infrastructure, with the companies evaluating opportunities for sourcing battery energy storage systems for telecom applications.
The collaboration is also expected to evaluate advanced battery technologies for telecom applications, aimed at enhancing reliability, improving energy efficiency and enabling more sustainable telecom operations. According to Cygni Energy, this technology evaluation forms a key component of their strategic partnership with Indus Towers, with the companies focusing on improving power reliability, energy efficiency and the sustainability of telecom operations. The partnership focuses on developing sodium-ion solutions that can offer lower costs, improved safety, and faster charging capabilities, including charging times of around 20 minutes. As India's telecom network expands and data consumption increases, energy storage systems are expected to play a larger role in managing power requirements and reducing dependence on conventional backup systems.
Cygni Energy Founder and CEO Venkat Rajaraman emphasized that this initiative goes beyond supplying batteries, focusing on building scale, technology capabilities and manufacturing readiness. As reported by Business Standard, Rajaraman outlined plans to develop capacity of up to 2 GWh, while building a portfolio that can evolve from today's 100Ah solutions to higher-capacity 314Ah systems and emerging battery technologies. "For us, this initiative goes beyond supplying batteries. It is about building the scale, technology capabilities and manufacturing readiness required to support the evolving energy needs of one of the world's largest passive telecom infrastructure companies," Rajaraman stated. The company's ambition is to combine scale, reliability and Indian engineering to create future-ready energy storage solutions that can evolve alongside India's rapidly expanding digital infrastructure.
Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Institute Professor at IIT Madras and Chairman of ITEL Foundation, highlighted the importance of collaboration among users, startups, manufacturers and technology institutions for advancing energy storage technologies in India. "Collaboration between users, startups, manufacturers and technology institutions can support the development and adoption of energy storage solutions in India. Telecom provides an important application for advancing battery technologies and manufacturing capabilities in this space," Jhunjhunwala noted. The proposed partnership comes as India expands its digital infrastructure and seeks to strengthen domestic capabilities across the energy storage value chain. For the energy sector, such collaborations could support indigenous innovation, strengthen supply-chain resilience, and accelerate the adoption of next-generation energy storage solutions.
