Inside the Cell: Unlocking India’s Battery Chemistry • @DCIW 2026 • Feb 20 • Delhi-NCR
A DeepTech DeepDive Event during Delhi Climate Innovation Week 2026, hosted by Beyond Next Ventures Inc.
India is winning the EV assembly race, but what about energy?
While we have hundreds of "battery manufacturers," most remain pack assemblers—importing cells from China/other regions and packaging them into modules. We are effectively trading an oil dependency for a battery dependency.
This deep-dive shifts the lens "Inside the Cell."
We are moving beyond the application layer (EVs) to the value creation layer (Chemistry & Infrastructure).
Key Questions on the Table:
The "Assembly Trap": How do we move from "Pack Makers" to "Chemistry Creators"?
The $19 Billion Gap: India’s BESS market will hit $19.4B by 2035. Who captures this value—Indian innovators or foreign cell suppliers?
The Chemistry Pivot: Is the future just optimizing Li-ion for Indian temperatures, or leaping to Sodium-ion?
Who Should Attend
This is a curated session for those building the "hard tech" of energy storage:
The Builders: Founders working on cell components (anodes/cathodes), advanced Li-ion, Sodium-ion, and other novel chemistries.
The Enablers: Policy shapers (NITI Aayog, BIS) and Grid Infrastructure experts.
The Backers: Investors with a specific mandate for hard-tech and climate infrastructure.
Agenda (Tentative)
5:00 PM: Doors Open & Settle Down
5:15 PM: The Deep Dive: Breaking the Assembly Barrier (Anchored by Industry Experts)
6:30 PM: Open Floor Debate / Q&A
7:00 PM: Networking Mixer
Anchor Experts
We are curating a lineup of veterans from the cell manufacturing and grid infrastructure space. (Final lineup to be announced shortly)
Where & When:
Date: Friday, February 20, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM IST
Venue: (Location details sent upon approval)
Entry: By approval only (to curate a highly relevant audience)
About Beyond Next Ventures
Beyond Next Ventures Inc. is an early-stage deep-tech venture capital firm with presence in Japan and India. We are driven by our mission to enable exceptional entrepreneurs solving global challenges for healthier populace and a happier planet. Founded in 2014, we have made over 80 investments across both countries. We have a portfolio of 15 companies in India.
We focus on seed and pre-series A stage deep-tech startups, with ticket sizes ranging from $300,000 to $1.5 million. We typically co-lead investment rounds and are committed to providing follow-on funding to our portfolio companies in future rounds.
Website: https://beyondnextventures.com/
Portfolio: https://beyondnextventures.com/portfolio/
About Delhi Climate Innovation Week 2026
Delhi Climate Innovation Week 2026 (DCIW'26) is the inaugural edition of the Global South's largest climate innovation gathering, scheduled for 20-27 February 2026 across Delhi-NCR.
DCIW'26 will bring together founders, investors, policymakers, corporates, and ecosystem builders under one roof. The platform aims to position the Global South as leaders in climate innovation and accelerate solution deployment through collaboration.
With over 200+ partner-led events and an anticipated 50,000+ eyeballs, DCIW'26 will serve as a powerful network effect platform for climate innovation across emerging markets.
Website: www.delhi.climateinnovationweek.org
Questions?
Reach out to Aravind at [email protected]