The lithium-ion batteries are at the heart of the transition from fossil-fuelled vehicles towards cleaner alternate powertrain options, but fundamental supply chain changes are needed to eliminate widespread forced labour and child labour abuses.

A recent research by AI supply chain risk platform Infyos has identified that companies accounting for 75 percent of the global battery market have connections to one or more companies in the supply chain facing allegations of severe human rights abuses. Most major battery manufacturers and end batteries applications are exposed including many of the world’s largest automotive, energy storage and electronics brands.

This new industry data is compiled from evidence on Infyos’ AI supply chain risk platform using thousands of government datasets, NGO reports, news articles and social media sources. 

Infyos’ AI technology is developed specifically for the battery industry to automate the gathering, cleansing and classification of unstructured data to identify and assign confidence ratings to allegations of human rights abuses with accuracy and speed that previously was not possible.

The AI-driven platform claims it is working with some of the world’s largest renewable energy and automotive companies to combine open-source data with additional proprietary data sources to identify which companies a customer may be connected to across the supply chain and where there is exposure to or allegations of human rights abuses.

Tony To, Co-founder & CTO, Infyos said: “Our platform is designed to provide users with insights into the complexities of the battery supply chain so they can take proactive measures to identify and mitigate risks. By leveraging AI in our technology we’ve created a system that delivers accurate data despite the complexity of the battery industry and most importantly provides users with simple actionable mitigations to collaborate with their suppliers to address risks and improve the sustainability of the industry.”
The report finds that widespread human rights abuses identified range from people being forced to work in lithium refining facilities under the threat of no or minimal pay to five-year-old children mining cobalt materials out of the ground in hazardous conditions. Severe human rights incidents are occurring globally, especially in resource-rich countries with fragile and corrupt governments like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar.

However, most of the allegations of severe human rights abuses involve companies who are mining and refining raw materials in China that end up in batteries around the world, particularly in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China where the battery, automotive and solar industry has already been hit with public allegations of widespread forced labour from journalists, government agencies and non-profit organisations.

Complex supply chain

Electric vehicle and battery manufacturers have a complex supply chain, sometimes with over 10,000 suppliers across their network, from mines to chemical refineries and automotive manufacturers. Human rights abuses frequently occur upstream in the supply chain, notably at the raw material mining and refining stages, making it difficult for companies purchasing batteries to identify their supply chain risks.

The battery industry’s connections to these incidents stem from manufacturers sourcing components or materials from unethical companies in their supply chain network or entering business relationships, including joint ventures or equity investments hidden in complex and changing ownership structures, which conceals the reality of the unethical connections.

Sarah Montgomery, CEO & Co-Founder, Infyos added, “The relative opaqueness of battery supply chains and the complexity of supply chain legal requirements means current approaches like ESG audits are out of date and don’t comply with new regulations. Most battery manufacturers and their customers, including automotive companies and grid-scale battery energy storage developers, still don’t have complete supply chain oversight.”
It is important to understand that sourcing is coming under growing scrutiny, particularly in Europe and the US, where failure to address the issues means companies could be in breach of current and future regulations. 

This is damaging the battery industry’s clean credentials and hampering investment into the global battery market forecast to be worth nearly $500 billion (INR 41,655 billion) in 2030. With more legislation such as the EU Battery Regulation and the US’s Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA) being phased in, action must be taken now so companies can still sell their products.

Jeff Williamson, Head of Sustainability, Infyos said: “Companies manufacturing or purchasing batteries are at risk of having their products blocked at the market, further delaying and increasing the costs of renewable energy projects or tarnishing their reputation because of human rights risks.”

The UFLPA prohibits the import of goods made with forced labour in the Xinjiang region of China. The penalties for non-compliance can be extreme: earlier this year inspectors blocked vehicles they found to violate the regulations. The US Senate Finance Committee Chair has accused automotive manufacturers of ‘sticking their heads in the sand’ over forced labour in their supply chains and a subsequent report recommended that the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection take further measures to strength enforcement of the forced labour ban in automotive supply chains, including placing CATL – the world’s largest battery cell manufacturer – on a list of companies banned due to their connection to forced labour. Europe is following suit with its forced labour ban while a proposal has been submitted to increase the fines for non-compliance with the UK’s Modern Slavery Act to 4 percent of global annual turnover.

Sarah Montgomery, CEO & Co-Founder, Infyos said: “We have already seen how forced labour incidents in supply chains for the solar industry have blocked the largest solar suppliers from the US market and slowed down the transition to clean energy: as the battery industry faces the paradigm shift to electrification, the lessons learnt in solar must be applied to the battery industry if the energy transition is to stay on track.”

Battery-specific regulations within Europe are becoming more stringent too. New EU Battery Regulations coming into effect between 2024 and 2036 require much more rigorous supply chain visibility and risk management starting in 2025 with non-compliance leading to products being blocked from the European market. These pressing supply chain requirements, which many in the industry are struggling to comply with, are foundational to the much-talked-about battery passports in 2027. The UFLPA and EU Battery Regulation are widely seen as the battery industry gold standard due to their strict requirements on due diligence and supply chain visibility, and many companies operating outside of the regions are voluntarily aiming to meet their requirements.

By addressing issues within their supply chain, companies not only continue to have a licence to operate and avoid costly fines but can also actively grow their business: Research from PwC found that 89 percent of institutional investors are considering or have already rejected investments in firms with ESG shortcomings. Additional human rights pressure is coming from investors, who are now mandating deeper supply chain risk management and visibility as a condition of lending or investment to minimise their own financial risk. While financial and regulatory pressures are increasing awareness of human rights abuses in battery supply chains, more industry action to address human rights abuses is needed to drive battery applications forward and ensure 2050 net-zero emissions targets don’t face total failure.

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Flying Flea, the electric mobility brand from Royal Enfield, has expanded its retail network in India by launching operations in Hyderabad. Following its initial rollout in Bengaluru, where registered vehicles have accumulated over 100,000 kilometres, Hyderabad becomes the second Indian market for the brand.

The expansion includes four touchpoints across Hyderabad, comprising one company-owned store in Erragadda and three dealer partner locations operated by Taurus Motors in Vanasthalipuram, Bolt Motorcycles in Hi-Tech City and SVR Motors in Kondapur. The network utilises a hub-and-spoke operational structure, designating the Erragadda facility for technical support while the partner locations handle routine service and sales operations.

The brand's initial offering, the Flying Flea C6 electric motorcycle, is priced at INR 279,000 ex-showroom or INR 199,000 under a Battery-as-a-Service model. The vehicle is offered in three colour options: Storm Black, Flea Green, and Parachute White, with roadside assistance provided across retail channels.

The retail launch in Hyderabad follows Flying Flea's international expansion into European and UK markets, including retail locations in Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome and London.

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Zomato and Blinkit, operating under parent company Eternal, hosted the third edition of EV Bazaar at the KD Jadhav Stadium in New Delhi to promote electric two-wheeler adoption among delivery partners.

The event drew participation from 2,500 delivery gig workers and over 20 original equipment manufacturers and ecosystem partners, showcasing more than 30 electric two-wheeler models alongside vehicle rental, financing and charging solutions.

The event included addresses by Mahmood Ahmed, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Jitender Patil, Head of the EV Cell at the Transport Department of Maharashtra.

As of 30 September 2026, over 200,000 delivery partners across the Zomato and Blinkit platforms operate electric two-wheelers. During FY2026, electric vehicles completed 228 million deliveries across both platforms, avoiding an estimated 9,926 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Mahmood Ahmed said, “The electrification of the transportation section is a critical contributor to India’s energy security and air pollution control. The adoption of EVs by delivery partners is important to accelerating the transition since charging, swapping and servicing networks will expand for the industry and benefit other users as well. I appreciate this proactive initiative by Zomato and Blinkit to further the gig ecosystem’s shift to electric mobility and enabling a better future for India.”

Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Eternal, said, “For our delivery partners, the performance of their bike is critical to their ability to earn efficiently. Delivery may only be one of their many responsibilities on the same day. That makes the move to electric a practical and financial question as much as an environmental one. EV Bazaar gives delivery partners a place to evaluate their EV bike purchase options by directly interacting with companies who build, rent, finance and charge EV bikes. We thank each of them for being part of the third edition.”

To facilitate vehicle access, the companies operate a 'Rent a vehicle' feature within their delivery partner mobile applications, enabling workers to lease electric two-wheelers and locate charging and battery-swapping stations within assigned delivery zones. Over 23,000 delivery partners utilised the rental feature in fiscal year 2026. Additionally, Zomato Local Services launched an owned electric vehicle rental fleet in June 2025, deploying over 1,500 electric two-wheelers across Delhi and Chennai by March 2026.

Sheetanshu Tyagi, Co-Founder and CEO, EMO Energy, said, “EMO Energy brings advanced batteries and 20-minute charging together to keep last-mile vehicles moving. With Zomato and Blinkit, we are enabling riders to charge faster, operate with zero downtime, and have greater vehicle availability.”

During the event, three delivery partners received new electric two-wheelers and one partner was awarded a one-year rental sponsorship from the network in recognition of operational performance and participation in platform electrification initiatives.

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Jio-bp, the operating brand of Reliance BP Mobility, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with electric vehicle leasing platform Vertelo to develop charging infrastructure and financial solutions for electric buses and trucks in India.

The partnership combines Vertelo's commercial vehicle leasing platform with Jio-bp's fast-charging network across urban centres and highway transport corridors.

As per the agreement, both entities will explore providing fleet operators with turnkey charging infrastructure projects, preferential charging rates and location tracking for charging hubs. The initiative aligns with the Government of India's PM E-DRIVE program, which promotes zero-emission commercial transport adoption.

Sarthak Behuria, Chairman, Jio-bp, said, "India's transition to electric mobility is no longer a question, it is happening quickly. At the heart of this transformation are commercial fleets - buses and trucks that keep our people, cargo, and economy moving every day, often covering the longest distances and the toughest routes. At Jio-bp, we believe EV charging infrastructure is a critical part of national infrastructure and our partnership with Vertelo marks an important step towards building the charging backbone needed to cater to the demands of this transition."

Akshay Wadhwa, CEO, Jio-bp, said, "Jio-bp pulse has been built on a simple promise - accessible, reliable, high-uptime EV charging wherever needed. With Vertelo, we are bringing that same reliability to commercial fleets, which have distinct needs shaped by routes, battery capacities and operating patterns. This MoU lets us address those needs directly, while exploring practical charging and financing solutions for fleet operators. Together, we aim to make reliable charging more accessible for electric buses and trucks."

Sandeep Gambhir, CEO, Vertelo, said, "Commercial vehicles cover far more kilometres than passenger cars, which makes them the segment where electrification delivers the greatest environmental return, and where charging access matters most. Jio-bp has built meaningful infrastructure along the major corridors our customers operate on. This collaboration will help connect more cities and communities across the country while reinforcing Vertelo’s status as a trusted enabler of EV adoption through its ecosystem play through leasing and financing solutions along with creating the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the same."

The collaboration addresses charging access, battery performance management, and capital expenditure barriers for commercial fleet operators transitioning from internal combustion engine vehicles.

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Pune-headquartered electric vehicle company Kinetic Watts and Volts, a subsidiary of Kinetic Engineering, has entered into a retail financing partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank to provide credit options across its dealership network.

The arrangement enables customers at Kinetic EV dealerships to access loan options, interest rates and instalment plans, subject to eligibility criteria. Ground teams from IDFC FIRST Bank will collaborate directly with dealership staff to process applications at the point of sale. The initiative coincides with the expansion of Kinetic EV’s retail footprint, which currently comprises over 65 operational sales, service and spare parts facilities in India.

Ajinkya Firodia, MD, Kinetic Watts and Volts, said, "For many customers, choosing an electric two-wheeler is not just about selecting the right product, but also about finding a purchase option that works for them. Our partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank gives customers greater choice at the point of purchase and strengthens the support available across our dealership network. With quick financing options, attractive EMI plans and exciting offers for eligible customers, we want to make the overall purchase journey simpler and more convenient. As we continue to expand our presence across markets, we look forward to making the journey towards electric mobility more accessible for more customers."

The tie-up leverages the bank's branch and operational network to support dealership sales in multiple regional markets. The companies are also developing customer schemes and promotional offers that will be announced at a later date.

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