Mahindra Battery Report: Scoping and Leading an End-to-End Sector Study

Isha took on the Mahindra battery sustainability report at the brief stage, with no pre-built scope. The client wanted a clear answer on the future of battery chemistry in India's EV and energy storage market, and the firm needed to design a research program that could deliver that.

She drafted the key questions the report would need to answer: who are the ecosystem players, where is funding flowing, what policies support EV and battery energy storage systems, how are battery recyclers and refurbishers positioned, what are the economics of each player, and how is cell manufacturing developing in India. She also mapped the full supply chain from mineral procurement to recycling as a structural frame for the report.

Aligning with the Client

The initial scope Isha designed was detailed and broad. In the first client meeting, Mahindra clarified their primary question: which battery chemistry will dominate the future. They wanted a directional answer, not a number-heavy report.

She iterated the scope to center on that question, restructuring the deliverables around chemistry comparison and future positioning. The revised scope was presented to the Mahindra promoter and aligned.

Delivery in Progress

The report is structured as a series of chapters. Isha is currently leading the first chapter on mineral supply chains. The research methodology combines primary interviews with auto OEMs, battery recyclers, and other value chain participants, alongside secondary research on market evolution, chemistry trajectories, and India's regulatory environment.