Ola Electric has denied media reports suggesting its involvement in a leak of proprietary pouch cell technology (tech) from South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, calling the allegations “baseless”.
The company said it has no commercial or research interest in the older pouch cell format cited in the reports, emphasising that its new 4680 Bharat Cell — based on advanced dry-electrode cylindrical tech — is already in commercial production.
“The media reports alleging tech intrigue involving Ola Electric, casting unfounded aspersions on the company’s world-class battery innovation capabilities, are misleading and completely baseless,” the company said in a statement recently.
A South Korean news outlet reported that LG Energy Solution is under government investigation over allegations that proprietary battery manufacturing tech was leaked to India’s Ola Electric, a startup backed by roughly $310 million in investments from Hyundai Motor and Kia.
According to the report, LG Energy Solution said South Korean authorities are investigating a former researcher for allegedly transferring key pouch-type lithium-ion battery manufacturing processes to Ola Electric.
The tech, classified by the South Korean government as a “national core tech”, is subject to strict export controls under the Industrial Technology Protection Act.
The probe — led by the National Intelligence Service and Seoul police, with LG Energy Solution’s cooperation — comes amid long-standing business ties between Ola Electric and Korean automotive makers Hyundai and Kia, which invested in the Indian firm in 2019.
A query to LG did not elicit any response.
Ola Electric, however, said the old pouch cell tech cited in the report is not an area of research or commercial interest for the company.
“Our 4680 Bharat Cell is based on the most advanced dry-electrode tech in a cylindrical form factor and surpasses the pouch cell touted in media leaks,” Ola Electric said.
The company added that the media report emerges at a telling time, just as the 4680 Bharat Cell enters commercial production.
The 4680 Bharat Cell represents India’s first indigenous large-format cell and directly competes with Korean majors in the domestic market.
Ola Electric said fears of losing market opportunities are prompting foreign rivals to target indigenous battery innovation.
It described the timing of the selective leak to South Korean media — and its swift, unverified replication by parts of the Indian press — as dubious at best.
As Ola Electric scales up production of the 4680 Bharat Cell, investing heavily in research and development (R&D) and manufacturing infrastructure, the company said a misleading narrative of tech intrigue is being weaponised to undercut India’s emergence as a global player in advanced energy tech.
Ola Electric said it has 720 patent filings, of which 124 are granted.
Its Battery Innovation Center in Bengaluru employs over 250 specialists drawn from top global cell tech companies.
Ola Cell Technologies has established India’s first operational Gigafactory, built with a cumulative investment of Rs 2,500 crore.
The company stressed its commitment to intellectual property and the rigorous effort that drives true innovation.
“We are grateful to our Prime Minister’s vision and the government’s efforts to support Indian R&D and manufacturing.
"Initiatives have created a powerful ecosystem for companies like us to innovate, file patents, and build world-class tech in India,” the company said.
“India’s progress in advanced cell tech, exemplified by the 4680 Bharat Cell, is the direct result of this vision for technological self-reliance.
"We will not allow business rivalries or motivated media speculation to derail India’s push toward global leadership in clean energy and battery innovation.”
In October 2025, Ola Electric launched Ola Shakti, India’s first residential battery energy storage system using the Bharat 4680 cell.
Shakti delivers twice the lifespan and higher efficiency than traditional lead-acid systems, integrates seamlessly with rooftop solar, and provides five to 10 hours of home backup.
The company expects Shakti to generate Rs 100 crore in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025-26 and Rs 1,000–1,200 crore in annual revenue in 2026-27 (FY27), with 40–50 per cent gross margins.
Ola Electric plans to expand into containerised energy storage systems for commercial, industrial, and utility-scale use by the first quarter of FY27, offering 100 kilowatt-hour to 5 megawatt-hour systems.
To support this growth, it aims to scale total cell manufacturing capacity to 20 gigawatt-hour by the second half of FY27.
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