Honda buys stake in India’s OMC Power to reuse old EV batteries for clean energy supply

Japanese auto major Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has acquired a minority stake in India’s OMC Power, marking its first investment in a distributed energy platform in the country. The deal comes as OMC Power expands into the clean energy storage segment using electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

The investment adds Honda to OMC Power’s roster of Japanese investors, which includes Mitsui & Co. with a 26% stake and Chubu Electric Power, the largest Japanese shareholder with 30%.

According to Honda, the investment aims to contribute to a stable power supply using batteries, a key requirement as India’s mobility sector accelerates toward electrification. Beginning January 2026, OMC Power will start a leasing business for UPS devices powered by the Honda Mobile Power Pack e: — a portable and swappable battery.

Honda’s Indian subsidiary, Honda Power Pack Energy India Pvt. Ltd. (HEID), will supply the batteries. OMC Power will combine the battery with its UPS device and offer it on lease to households, small businesses, schools, and other facilities. The system will charge using grid power when available and supply electricity during outages.

OMC Power is developing a 1 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy portfolio and is launching a new vertical to deploy EV batteries as battery energy storage systems (BESS). It will also repurpose old EV batteries for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) applications, similar to inverters.

Rohit Chandra, Managing Director and CEO of OMC Power, said the collaboration with Honda follows more than four years of discussions. “It is the result of research and development, market studies, feasibility studies, and customer trials, all of which have led to this investment now,” he said.

He added, “It is a win-win situation for both of us. Our partner is a leader in automobiles. It is coming up in EVs in a big way. Honda Motor will share its technical know-how, and we will provide them with the opportunities in our 1 GW journey.”

Two Honda officials will join OMC Power’s management team next month to support the company with technical expertise.

Since 2023, Honda and OMC Power have conducted demonstration testing of the UPS device in Uttar Pradesh. The trials confirmed that repurposing electric motorcycle batteries can provide stable energy while reducing the environmental impact compared with diesel generators.

“Honda believes that electrified mobility products can contribute not only as a means of transportation but also to the advancement of energy systems for our customers and their local communities,” said Minoru Kato, Chief Officer for Motorcycle and Power Products Operations, Head of Motorcycle Business Unit, and Executive Officer of Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

“In India, where the shift toward electric motorcycles is progressing, Honda will strive to establish a resource-circulating value chain by facilitating the repurposing of end-of-life electric motorcycle batteries,” Kato said.

“Through this initiative, with a comprehensive approach from the perspective of both our products and business activities, Honda will contribute to addressing societal issues and making people’s daily lives more enjoyable.”

OMC Power currently operates across four business verticals and plans to build its 1 GWp (1,000 MWp) capacity as follows:

• 600 MWp from rooftop solar for healthcare clients (current capacity: 75 MWp);


• 200 MWp from green energy for telecom clients (current: 15 MWp);


• 100 MWp in rural smart grids (current: 10 MWp); and


• 100 MWp in solar EPC projects for MSME and industrial clients (starting with 5 MWp).

These projects will be developed across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, and other northeastern states.Read about our editorial guidelines and ethics policy