Tata needs help to produce electric Jaguar Land Rover

Tata Sons is in talks with several start-ups as the conglomerate seeks technical know-how for its £4bn ($5.1bn) UK battery plant where it intends to begin mass production in 2026 

«If you look at the startups that are in the field, they are at the cutting edge of technology  — said the chief financial officer of Tata Motors Group.

According to Balaji, collaborations for a battery plant capable of supplying cells for at least 500,000 vehicles per year could range from joint ventures and knowledge sharing to experimentation and licensing agreements.

According to him, Tata intends to have partners in "all the way, from cell chemistry to manufacturing and industrialization". The conglomerate is negotiating with multiple companies involved at different stages of the value chain — research and development, manufacturing innovation and recycling — and plans to make an announcement shortly.

The plant is a win for the UK car industry, which is struggling after Brexit and the transition to electric vehicles. Last year, the UK produced 775,000 cars, the lowest since 1956 , after the global semiconductor crisis and several factory closures hit production.

JLR and  Tata Motors are anchor customers of the plant, which will supply 40 gigawatt-hour batteries starting in 2026