Page 132 - CW E-Magazine (2-4-2024)

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BATTERY MATERIALS
Himadri to acquire 40% stake in Invati Creations

The board of Himadri Speciality Rs. 25.17-crore will be discharged through and battery lifespan of lithium-ion bat-
Chemical Ltd. has approved the acqui- a share swap by way of issuance of teries. Their technology complements
sition of a 40% stake in Invati Creations 7,96,446 equity shares of the company, our portfolio in the battery material
Pvt. Ltd., a company with a strong of face value Rs. 1 each, on a preferen- segment, and we foresee an elevation
focus on engineering lithium-ion elec- tial basis to the promoters of Invati. in the performance, safety, and recyc-
trode materials, for a consideration of lability of batteries, focusing on con-
Rs. 45.16-crore. Himadri will have two nominee tributing to clean energy technologies
directors on the board of Invati. and addressing a substantial portion of
Invati, founded by alumni from the global demand,” said Mr. Anurag
IIM Calcutta and IIT Kharagpur, has a The Himadri Board also approved Choudhary, CMD & CEO, Himadri
strong focus on engineering lithium-ion the issuance of 1.08-crore convertible Speciality Chemicals, in a statement.
electrode materials for effi cient energy warrants at a price of Rs. 316 per war-
storage with higher energy density and rant, aggregating up to Rs. 343-crore, “Our research team is focusing on
longer battery life, according to the by way of a preferential issue to the making lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP)
statement. promoters and certain other identifi ed batteries last longer and safer. We’re
persons. also testing new cathode materials for
As part of the deal, Himadri will faster charging and have developed a
partly acquire Invati’s stake by infus- “Our partnership with Invati empha- unique cathode that maintains its integ-
ing Rs. 19.99-crore cash as growth sizes the vision to positively impact rity over many charging cycles,” added
capital in Invati, and the balance of the storage effi ciency, charging speed, Mr. Mukesh Agarwal, Director, of Invati.

RURAL ENGAGEMENT
‘Engaging rural youth in agriculture crucial for long

term viability’

The rural and agricultural sectors with appropriate use of technological
play a vital role in the economic deve- advancements, agriculture can be more
lopment and sustainable growth of any appealing to India’s rural youth.
nation. “The important aspect of rural
engagement is youth involvement. So, The purpose of the event was to
engaging rural youth in agriculture is understand and bridge the gaps from
crucial for the sectors long term viability ‘Lab to Land’ and from ‘Land to Lab’
and wide target. By providing young communication, said Mr. Amit Khare,
people with education, training and of innovative technologies and digital Founder & Managing Partner, Snail
entrepreneurial opportunities in agricul- solutions that enhances agricultural Integral. “There exists a substantial
ture, rural engagement initiatives can productivity effi ciency and resilience. disparity between rural-centric and
stem rural urban migration” said Dr. By promoting technology, transfer, capa- urban-centric communication approaches,
K.C. Ravi, Chairman, CropLife India & city building and knowledge sharing, and it is imperative we address this
Chief Sustainability Offi cer, Syngenta. rural engagement increases the initi- gap by taking advantage of our tech-
atives which can empower farmers to nological advancements. As our country
Speaking at The Brand R.Comm, leverage digital youth.” evolves into a technology-friendly
Rural Communication Summit & environment, bridging these gaps is
Awards 2024 organised by Snail Inte- Mr. Rajvir Rathi, Director Public not only possible, but also necessary
gral LLP in New Delhi, Dr. Ravi added Affairs, Science and Sustainability to promote inclusive communication
“rural engagement facilitates adoption (South Asia), Bayer CropScience, said strategies,” added Mr. Khare.

132 Chemical Weekly April 2, 2024

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