India Plans National ID System for Batteries

India is moving toward unit-level traceability for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways proposing a Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN) similar to the ID number assigned to Indian citizens under the Aadhaar scheme.

The BPAN is intended to improve supply chain transparency, enable second-life battery use, support recycling efficiency and strengthen regulatory oversight – which is particularly important given that EVs account for up to 90% of lithium-ion battery demand in India.

Battery producers and importers would be required to assign a 21-character BPAN to every battery they introduce into the market, including those used internally for testing or fleet operations.

If a battery is recycled or repurposed, a new BPAN must be issued, reflecting the start of a new lifecycle.

In concept, BPAN aligns closely with the EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) approach, with both systems built around the same core principles: 

• A unique digital identity for each physical product 
• Lifecycle data that follows the product, not just the manufacturer
• Support for circular-economy goals, including recycling and reuse
• Regulatory access to accurate, standardised product data
• The rule that a new BPAN must be issued after recycling or repurposing mirrors the DPP logic, where a remanufactured or recycled product is treated as a new lifecycle instance.