Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh cell grading plant
How Indore — Pithampur Grading Plant decides reuse or refining for every module — test sequence, grade bands, outputs and the sites that feed it.
Throughput
11,000 TPA
Process stages
6
Feeder sites nearby
6
Operating since
2022
From intake to grade assignment
- 1
Intake & safety triage
Packs are logged, thermally imaged and screened for swelling, coolant ingress or venting before entering the bench area.
- 2
Controlled de-energising
Residual energy is discharged to a safe state of charge with regenerative load banks and recorded per serial number.
- 3
Module-level capacity test
Full charge-discharge cycling at C/3 establishes usable capacity, internal resistance and cell-to-cell balance.
- 4
EIS fingerprinting
1 mHz–10 kHz impedance sweeps separate SEI growth, lithium plating and contact resistance degradation modes.
- 5
AI optical inspection
Machine-vision inspection of busbars, welds and cell cans flags mechanical defects that block second-life reuse.
- 6
Grade assignment
Grade A (≥85% SOH), B (75–85%), C (65–75%) and D routes are assigned, with D-grade material released to refining.
Acceptance criteria
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Accepted feed | Whole packs and modules from intake yards and fleets |
| State of charge | Below 30% on arrival, recorded per serial |
| Condition | Damaged units declared and routed to quarantine |
| Documentation | Manifest with serials, chemistry and prior history |
Grade bands and routes
| Grade | Route |
|---|---|
| Grade A (85%+) | Grid-tied and commercial storage builds |
| Grade B (75–85%) | Telecom backup and solar buffering |
| Grade C (65–75%) | Low-duty backup, short warranty |
| Grade D (<65%) | Discharge and refining feed |
Why Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh
Pithampur, near Indore, is one of central India's largest automotive manufacturing areas, with a strong presence of commercial vehicle and component makers. The grading plant opened there in 2022 to serve Madhya Pradesh and surrounding states, which previously had to send retired packs long distances to western or southern sites before learning whether they had any reuse value. It opened as regional EV sales began to climb.
Its 11,000 TPA of capacity covers commercial vehicle modules, three-wheeler packs and passenger-car packs from Indore and Bhopal. Its central position also makes it a practical intermediate grading point between western and northern India, and suppliers in the Pithampur cluster use it for structured testing of returned modules and sub-assemblies. Modules below reuse threshold are consolidated and dispatched for black mass production at an integrated campus elsewhere in the network.
Permitting
Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 (BWMR)
The plant operates under Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board consent and handles battery waste within the Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 framework, passing custody records on to the recycler that issues EPR evidence.
Technical strengths
Central India coverage
Cuts transport distance for Madhya Pradesh customers who previously shipped packs out of state.
Commercial module benches
Fixtures sized for the larger modules used in trucks and small commercial vehicles.
Supplier returns handling
Structured grading helps component makers understand failure patterns in returned units.
Sites that feed Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh
Packs and modules arrive from these intake sites.
Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh plant: technical questions
How long does grading take?
Standard passenger modules are graded within about five working days of intake; large-format bus and truck packs take longer because of disassembly.
What tests are run on each module?
A full capacity cycle, DC internal resistance, impedance spectroscopy and optical inspection of busbars, welds and cans.
Is Pithampur suitable for commercial vehicle batteries?
Yes. It has benches designed for larger commercial modules.
Which regions does Pithampur serve?
Mainly Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring parts of central India.
Damaged or defective packs are handled under a separate quarantine protocol — flag them in the form and the team calls you back the same day.
Need modules graded?
Share pack counts, chemistry and condition for a grading slot and indicative value split.