Pakistan is on the verge of a notable milestone in its industrial and energy transition journey, with the country’s first lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant set to become operational in Karachi within the next two to three months. The facility, being established by Karachi-based engineering firm EV Technologies in the Korangi Industrial Area, will initially carry a production capacity of four megawatts, sufficient to supply lithium-ion batteries for approximately 2,000 electric bikes and electric scooters per month. The development comes as the government’s National Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Policy for 2026-31 moves through its final stages of approval, with the Engineering Development Board confirming that the plant’s rollout timeline is expected to align with the policy coming into effect.
The announcement was made at a stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Engineering Development Board Chief Executive Hammad Mansoor, where the Pakistan Solar Association assured the board of the plant’s production readiness. Huma Khattak, Chief Executive Officer of EV Technologies, confirmed that the plant has already been ordered and that the production rollout is expected within two to three months. Mansoor outlined the broader intent behind the policy, stating that the aim is to develop a domestic battery manufacturing industry and reduce the country’s dependence on the import of completely built-up batteries, which currently serve a wide range of applications including electric vehicles and uninterruptible power supply systems at sensitive installations such as banking facilities. He further noted that the future of energy is fundamentally tied to battery technology, and that local production capacity is essential to meeting the growing demand for power storage solutions across both solar energy systems and the expanding electric vehicle segment.
On the regulatory front, the National Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Policy has already been forwarded to the Ministry of Industries and Production and is expected to be taken up with the National Tariff Board to reduce import duties on components used in the assembly and local manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. Following approval at the National Tariff Board level, the policy will be referred to the Prime Minister and subsequently to the federal cabinet before being formally announced as part of the Budget 2026-27. EV Technologies’ submission to the Engineering Development Board includes plans that extend beyond the initial electric bike and scooter segment, with Khattak noting that the country’s accelerating shift towards solar power has generated meaningful demand for lithium-ion batteries in both domestic and commercial sectors as well. If the policy framework takes hold as envisioned, the Korangi plant could serve as the foundational step in building a broader local battery ecosystem that reduces import dependency while supporting Pakistan’s longer-term energy and electric mobility ambitions.
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