Unlocking the Future of Energy Storage: A Conversation with Neha Malu Tapadiya

Neha Malu Tapadiya: “As an entrepreneur, I can do my bit towards making India a self-sufficient and developed nation by 2030.”

You co-founded Scion Energy Storage, a pioneering company in the energy storage industry in India. What inspired you to venture into this field?

Neha Malu Tapadiya: Green Renewable Energy is the answer to save our Mother Earth! To ensure a sustainable, clean and safe living environment for our future generations. India can become self-dependent for its energy needs. Each household in the remotest villages in India can get access to power thus bringing opportunities to grow and prosper. These core values inspired me to venture into the energy storage sector.

Additionally, I believe India has tremendous potential for growth and as an entrepreneur I can do my bit towards making India a self-sufficient and developed nation by 2030.

Scion Energy Storage offers customized lithium battery pack solutions and charger solutions. Can you tell us about some innovative applications of your products?

Neha Malu Tapadiya: Energy Storage is the answer to the emerging India towards becoming a developed country by 2030. We have developed battery storage solutions for Mobility and Stationary Applications ranging from 3V to 420V systems. .

In mobility we cater to AMR, AGV, MHE as well as commercial ebike, e-scooter applications. We also cater to innovative applications like Golf-carts, e-wheelchair, medical robots, automatic bomb defusing robots, agriculture e-bull, portable .

We provide integrated and non-integrated solutions in modules as per the application. We not only provide battery packs, but offer complete electronic solutions for end-to-end integration of the device and the battery backup system.

Your company focuses on lithium-ion cells with various chemistries. How do these technologies contribute to a more sustainable and efficient energy landscape?

Neha Malu Tapadiya: Lithium-ion cell with different chemistries offer characteristics like low-self discharging, longer life, light weight, portable, higher life-cycle, higher energy density, higher discharge C rating, and stability, zero emission.

According to the application, the chemistry can be selected based on what the cell has to offer. Commercially, NMC, LTO, LFP chemistry is available.

The lithium product cycle from mining lithium, cell manufacturing to battery pack manufacturing, and then recycling contributes to an efficient energy landscape. It begins with the lithium cells being rechargeable. It ensures use of a product for longer life span, avoiding excess product cycle. Once the cell is no longer holding charge, they are recycled and pumped back into the energy storage ecosystem. Recycling, reducing the carbon footprint of mining Lithium.

Also, it reduces e-waste and the refurbished battery packs have wide applications in India as it is commercially viable to masses for minimum backup applications like home lighting systems.

A lot of fossil fuels used product applications are switching to renewable energy which is ensuring the whole ecosystem is moving towards a sustainable future.

You have an impressive production capacity and testing facilities. Could you share more about the quality control measures and testing processes that ensure the reliability of your products?

Neha Malu Tapadiya:

1. Our battery packs are BIS certified. We are an ISO 9001:2015 company.
2. For our ESS, UPS and Inverter we are certified for AIS—–
   • We comply with AIS -156 standards for electric vehicle battery manufacturing.
3. We conduct rigorous IQC at each component level in battery pack manufacturing like cell, BMS, connector, holder, nickel, HSS sleeve
4. We comply to 100% cell level raw material testing for quality control like grading and sorting, which ensures our end product – battery pack has rejection rate of less than 2%
5. Our BMS is 100% tested using advanced machines
6. For end product, we have battery pack balancing machines to ensure packs are balanced for longer duration.

Scion Energy Storage has experienced rapid growth. What challenges did you encounter while establishing your presence in the energy storage market?

Neha Malu Tapadiya:

1. Technically Skilled manpower with knowledge of lithium ion technology, which added to extensive training both technical and commercial.
2. Lack of Customer awareness and know-how on using the product.
3. Since, the raw material is from overseas, establishing a reliable and quality driven procurement supply chain. We overcame this by developing indigenous local vendors for 90% of our raw materials.
4. Establishing a strong supply chain. We now procure cells which are BIS certified in the brand name, which gives us control on the raw materials.
5. Developed in-house BMS designs and integration with local vendors to have control on the IQC of the material.
6. Providing timely and quality service to customers by ensuring we have sales and service points in over 19 cities in India.

In addition to your role as an entrepreneur, you spend time blogging. Can you tell us more about your blog, “Eat.Travel.Inspire,” and how it aligns with your professional journey?

Neha Malu Tapadiya:

My blog, Eat.Travel.Inspire by Neha (https://eattravelinspirebyneha.wordpress.com/) started off in 2015, when I was in Boston, USA, where I could analyse, the most celebrated franchise in history of US cinemas, Star Wars, draws its fundamental concepts, divine characters from the founding principles of our very own, Indian Vedas, Hinduism. The Star Wars franchise helped me articulate the elements of spirituality that resonated with these constructs. The influence of Hinduism, my roots, inspired me to share my revelations with the world. Especially the young generation of Indian diaspora all over the world, many of whom do not relate to the roots of Hinduism, due to lack of the reasoning and wisdom behind the concepts of Hinduism.

Thus, the beginning of my journey in writing articles. I continued to write majorly on Indian Vedic fundamentals and how they can add value to the modern day living and enriching our lives.

Blogging has given me the opportunity to look beyond the surface, understand human psychology, inspire people which is I believe the foundation of management. A motivated and inspired team is the only way towards a successful business journey.

You’ve mentioned the concept of “ikigai,” finding happiness in what you do. How do you balance your roles as an entrepreneur, blogger, and enthusiast in various fields?

Neha Malu Tapadiya: To find your ikigai, you need to find who you are to the core. Once you know it, you will know what gives you happiness and the roles are mere labels, but the fundamentals of doing any work remains the same.

I am a creative process driven person. The process of creating gives me happiness. So, wherever there is an opportunity to create, I tend to invest time. The medium can be through creating a business as an entrepreneur, or creating inquisitive articles as a blogger, or curating culinary art through cooking or it can be creating art through handmade essentials or an art form yet to be explored!

The energy storage sector is rapidly evolving. What role do you see women playing in this industry, and how can we encourage more women to participate?

Neha Malu Tapadiya: I see women right from the role of an entrepreneur, CEO, CTO to CMO to actually making battery packs and leading teams. This industry is advancing rapidly in terms of technological advancements and I believe the young women of India have the talent and capability to work hand in hand with technology. Women can participate more by finding their niche skills and how it can be suitable in the Lithium product cycle from top to bottom.

1. Participate in technological skills development.
2. Every women should learn to romance with financing as knowledge of financing is crucial for contributing to the company’s growth at any step in the ladder directly or indirectly.
3. Participate in world wide conferences and seminars to keep abreast with how the market is evolving and how you can contribute to its growth,
4. Be bold and don’t fear to put your thoughts out.
5. Be ready to give your 100% in whatever you do.

Can you share a piece of advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the energy and technology sectors?

Neha Malu Tapadiya:

1. Knowledge is the key to success.
2. Always try to reach the root of any issue. It requires patience and hard work.
3. Challenge yourself and try to keep abreast with the latest upcoming tools like AI etc to keep up with the fast paced industry
4. Make your company a system, a process driven company and not people dependent.
5. Learn to implement automated systems in all departments of your company right from procurement to marketing.
6. Be a changemaker.

With a strong emphasis on quality, Scion conducts rigorous testing at cell level and pack level, from vibrational and thermal assessments to capacity and durability checks.

Driven by a vision for a sustainable energy future, Scion Energy Storage, under the leadership of Neha Malu Tapadiya, continues to expand its footprint and influence in the energy storage industry, offering solutions that harness the power of cutting-edge technology for a cleaner and greener tomorrow. If you have any queries/requirements, do reach out to Scion Energy Storage on their email info@scionenergy.in