If you haven't noticed, the richest man just purchased a UK-based Sodium-ion company.
Why Mukesh Ambani is betting big on sodium in the EV battery race
RIL is in the middle of a Rs 6 trillion clean-energy push. So, it makes sense for Ambani to back a technology that’s as cheap as traditional lead-acid batteries.theprint.in
If they could make this work in few years down the line, opportunities are huge.
On Sodium-ion battery tech :
There are quite a few differences between Na and Li, but Na's advantages are extremely relevant to India and many other countries compared to Li in many areas.
SIB is not as useful in transportation, like EVs, but it is excellent for a cheap city vehicle of any type compared to Li, which is more relevant for long distance driving. So someone who doesn't drive more than what you get out of a single charge a day and has reliable access to a charge point can make do with SIB at a significantly lower cost. Most people won't mind 25% less distance at 25% less cost. A faster charge rate and higher lifespan sufficiently compensate for the difference.
But the real advantage of SIB is in static use, where weight and space constraints are more liberal. Like backup for houses, buildings etc, basically for grid infrastructure. Although it has a lower energey density, it is a lot more cheaper in comparison. So you can compensate for energy density with numbers.
It's also safer to use and cheaper to transport, since it uses less volatile chemicals. It can even be stored for a significantly longer time, since Na doesn't alloy with Al.
It guarantees security of supply.