VFlowTech, a deep-tech company based in Singapore, is leading the way in vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) systems for long-duration energy storage. In this interview, Dr Avishek Kumar, CEO & Co-Founder of VFlowTech, shares how the company is driving India’s clean energy transition with vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) and a commitment to localising the vanadium supply chain and expanding manufacturing.

Certainly. VFlowTech was established in 2018 as a spin-off from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), with the mission to make renewable energy truly reliable and accessible through advanced energy storage solutions. Our core innovation is the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), a technology that provides a safe, scalable, and long-duration alternative to conventional lithium-ion systems. VRFBs are non-flammable, offer 6 to 12 hours of discharge, and can operate for 25 years or more, making them ideal for grid-scale and industrial energy storage. Since our inception in Singapore, we have expanded rapidly into global markets, including Asia, the Middle East, and India, deploying over 5 MWh of systems across seven countries. Our growth has been supported by more than US $35 million in equity funding and US $7 million in grants.

In India, our strategy is firmly rooted in localisation. While we are already assembling batteries locally, we are also committed to building a robust domestic vanadium supply chain. A key pillar of this approach is our initiative to extract and recycle vanadium from petroleum waste and industrial residues, a field where India has significant untapped potential. By recovering vanadium from these waste streams, we not only reduce reliance on imported materials but also contribute to a circular economy. This approach transforms industrial waste into valuable resources for clean energy storage, aligning with India’s broader sustainability and self-reliance goals.

To drive our manufacturing expansion in India, VFlowTech’s immediate milestone is the establishment of a 100 MWh production facility, which will lay the groundwork for our envisioned Gigafactory capable of delivering up to 1 GWh of vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) systems annually in the coming years.

1. Strategic Partnerships: We are actively collaborating with local EPC firms, industrial conglomerates, and state utilities to co-develop demonstration projects and accelerate commercial adoption. These partnerships are central to building market confidence and ensuring our solutions are tailored to India’s diverse energy landscape.

2. Technology Transfer & Training: We are working closely with leading Indian academic and research institutions to facilitate technology transfer and build specialised talent. This includes training Indian engineers and technicians in flow-battery stack assembly and electrolyte processing, ensuring the development of a skilled local workforce to support large-scale production.

3. Supply-Chain Integration: A crucial part of our strategy is partnering with chemical and metallurgical companies to produce and recycle vanadium electrolyte within India. This not only enhances supply-chain resilience and cost competitiveness but also reinforces our commitment to sustainability by promoting domestic resource utilisation.

Together, these pillars support our broader vision to transform India into a regional hub for long-duration energy storage manufacturing and export. By building local capabilities and fostering strong industry partnerships, we aim to accelerate the adoption of safe, reliable, and scalable energy storage solutions across the country and beyond.

One of the biggest challenges limiting the integration of solar and wind power into India’s grid is the mismatch between renewable generation and consumer demand. Solar output peaks during the day, while the country’s electricity consumption typically surges in the evening. Without long-duration storage, utilities are often forced to rely on expensive fossil-fuel peaker plants to balance the grid during these peak hours.

In addition, issues such as grid intermittency, curtailment, and inadequate time-shifting capacity can result in significant amounts of renewable energy being wasted. Existing lithium-ion storage solutions, which are primarily designed for short 1- to 2-hour cycles, are not ideally suited for sustained discharge or for operation in India’s high-temperature environments.

Another key challenge lies in the policy landscape. Current regulatory frameworks and tenders generally focus on short-duration storage, while India’s evolving energy mix increasingly requires 4- to 10-hour systems capable of providing reliable, round-the-clock stabilisation for renewables. Addressing these challenges is essential for unlocking the full potential of India’s renewable energy resources.

Long-duration energy storage is the critical enabler for India’s transition to round-the-clock renewable power. By storing excess solar or wind energy generated during off-peak hours and discharging it when demand rises such as overnight or in the evening—these solutions help smooth out fluctuations and greatly enhance grid resilience.

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are particularly well-suited for this role. Their unique ability to independently scale power and energy, coupled with a non-flammable chemistry and robust performance in high-temperature conditions, makes them ideal for India’s diverse and renewable-rich regions.

When strategically deployed across utility grids, industrial parks, and microgrids, long-duration storage systems like VRFBs can replace the need for fossil-fuel peaker plants, minimise curtailment, and make renewable energy fully dispatchable on demand. This not only supports greater integration of renewables into the grid but also paves the way for a more reliable, flexible, and sustainable energy future for India.

What policy or regulatory interventions do you believe are essential for accelerating the adoption of next-generation battery technologies like vanadium redox flow systems in India?

India has made significant progress with initiatives like the National Energy Storage Mission and the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes. To further accelerate the adoption of next-generation battery technologies such as vanadium redox flow systems, several key policy interventions would be transformative:

Together, these policy measures would create a supportive environment for deep-tech investments, encourage local manufacturing, and accelerate the integration of advanced energy storage technologies into India’s energy ecosystem.

Long-duration storage technologies like vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are pivotal to advancing India’s decarbonisation goals. By offering 6 to 12 hours of discharge, VRFBs directly address the intermittency of renewable sources, allowing solar and wind energy to replace coal and gas-based peaking power plants. This not only reduces emissions but also ensures grid reliability.

In addition, VRFBs are designed for long operational life-lasting up to 25 years and feature a fully recyclable electrolyte, making them a truly sustainable solution aligned with India’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

As these systems are deployed at scale, they will enable India to progress from simply adding renewable capacity to achieving renewable energy dominance. Storage technologies like VRFBs transform intermittent generation into a reliable, dispatchable supply, dramatically reducing dependence on fossil fuels and accelerating the country’s clean energy transition.

VFlowTech’s AI-powered Cloud Energy Management Platform is designed to complement our battery systems by making every battery intelligent and connected. Leveraging real-time analytics and predictive algorithms, our platform optimises charging, discharging, and maintenance schedules across distributed VRFB assets.

By integrating data from multiple battery systems, it enables utilities and microgrid operators to dynamically balance supply and demand, enhance operational efficiency, and extend battery life. This digital layer transforms our hardware into a comprehensive energy management ecosystem, ideally suited for powering smart cities, industrial parks, and renewable energy clusters across India. In essence, our AI-driven platform not only maximises the value and longevity of each storage system but also supports the creation of smart, decentralised, and highly efficient energy infrastructures.

Over the next five years, we envision vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) becoming a foundational element of distributed energy storage in India. Our 5 GWh project pipeline developed in partnership with Indian discoms, renewable energy developers, and industrial customers emphasises hybrid systems that combine solar, wind, and flow batteries for optimal performance.

By delivering multi-hour balancing capacity, these integrated systems will help discoms significantly reduce curtailment losses, avoid costly peak-time power procurement, and enhance overall grid reliability. At the distributed level, VRFBs will enable communities and industries to manage their own energy more effectively, storing surplus renewable generation, powering electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and stabilising rural microgrids.

Collectively, these advancements will contribute to the creation of a smarter, more decentralised, and resilient energy grid for India, one that supports greater renewable integration and delivers cleaner, more reliable power across the country.

Our long-term vision is to establish VFlowTech as a global leader in long-duration energy storage by 2030. In the coming years, our growth strategy is focused on several key areas:

? Establishing Gigafactory-Scale Manufacturing: We are prioritising the development of Gigafactory-scale production facilities in India and Southeast Asia to meet growing demand and drive down costs.

? Expanding Our Project Portfolio: We aim to grow our global deployment pipeline to over 10 GWh, working with partners across diverse markets.

? Advancing Our AI-Driven Energy Platform: We are continuously enhancing our cloud-based platform to enable seamless integration with smart grids and optimise distributed energy assets.

? Ongoing R&D: Our research efforts remain centered on next-generation electrolytes and advanced materials to further improve the performance and sustainability of our systems.

By 2029, our goal is to surpass $220 million in revenue and prepare for an international IPO, positioning VFlowTech at the forefront of the global clean energy transformation. Additionally, we aim to develop a local supply chain for VRFB technology strengthening global energy security. Overall, our mission is to turn scientific innovation into scalable impact ensuring a future where clean energy is reliable, accessible, and never stops flowing.