India's "Battery Aadhaar" Policy Begins to Take Shape: Unique Identifiers Proposed to Trace EV Battery Origins, Health, End of Life

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has released an early draft of its proposed Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN) framework, which aims to make it easy to track how and when every EV battery is manufactured, serviced, installed, or recycled. The effort is similar to Battery Passport schemes that have previously been proposed in India and other countries. The BPAN would also help trace the components used in each and every battery, help customers and manufacturers understand their lifespans, trace counterfeit or fraudulently modified units, and quickly identify faults or defects.

Beginning with EVs but also eventually applicable to all 2kWh or higher-capacity batteries, the framework defines unique 21-character alphanumeric identifiers for every unit manufactured. These will also be machine-readable as QR codes. Ordinary batteries for consumer use are not included in the purview of this policy. 

A newly published government document outlining its goals for this policy explains what infrastructure will be required, and how the BPAN would work. While battery owners and service workers would be able to access some information such as real-time battery health and lifecycle tracking, other proprietary manufacturing information would only be readable by those authorised to do so. Customers would also be able to see details such as manufacturing date and authenticity, for quality assurance and to prevent unauthorised replacement or modification. 

For the government and manufacturers, this means transparency in sourcing, transportation, second-life reuse, safe recycling or disposal, and mineral recovery. Tracking and data reporting mechanisms also give companies and regulatory bodies the ability to gather massive-scale intelligence to help develop newer, safer and more efficient batteries in the future. Other stakeholders identified in the framework include insurance providers, used car buyers, financial institutions, waste management authorities, importers, distributors, and service providers.

Specific data tracked and stored by the BPAN includes a Battery Manufacturer Identifier (BMI), Battery Descriptor Section (BDS), Battery Identifier (BI), Battery Material Composition Section (BMCS), Battery Carbon Footprint (BCF), and Battery Dynamic Data (BDD). Data contained within these pools is structured to be compatible with emerging European battery passport initiatives, and capacity is built in for future requirements as global standards emerge. The Government of India will establish an online portal where data can be added and accessed. 

Systematic implementation will likely take several more months or years. Similar proposals and solutions have included blockchain, RFID and NFC technology as well as audit, data retention and physical security requirements. A Committee for the Development of Guidelines for Implementation of Battery Aadhaar System in India has been constituted by the MoRTH, comprised of advisers from IITs, ARAI, MHI, Niti Aayog and other institutions, and will decide conditions and an implementation strategy based on Indian conditions and context.