“A flash of fire in an IIT Bombay lab could have ended his career. Instead, it ignited his life’s mission — to make batteries that never burn.”

In a world racing toward electric mobility and energy storage, one Indian entrepreneur is leading the charge with safety at its core. Dr. Prasit Kumar Dutta, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Voltrez Tech Pvt. Ltd., has dedicated his life to tackling the root causes of lithium-ion battery fires — with innovation born in India, now resonating worldwide.

The turning point came during his PhD at IIT Bombay, when a commercial prismatic cell exploded during failure analysis, triggering a fire he narrowly escaped. That moment redefined his path. He traced the root cause to dendrites — microscopic metal filaments that grow on the anode over repeated cycles, increasing resistance and eventually piercing the separator, leading to short circuits and fires.

“He traced the root cause to dendrites — microscopic metal filaments that grow on the anode and puncture the separator, triggering short circuits and fires.”

A scientist-entrepreneur and mentor, he bridges academia and industry to build India’s battery-safety ecosystem. With both a Master’s and PhD from IIT Bombay, he specialized in lithium-ion and sodium-ion systems — but unlike most researchers, he took the bold step of transforming science into startup success.

“From that turning point emerged Voltrez Tech — India’s first deep-tech startup focused solely on battery safety materials.”

His patented anode technologies — developed using locally abundant Indian materials — offer unmatched safety and longevity. These are currently under validation with Tier-1 global cell makers across Europe and Asia, including in France, marking India’s growing influence in the global battery landscape.

Under his leadership, Voltrez set up a 3.5 MWh pilot production line for graphite additives — enabling end-to-end cell development, from powder to pouch. This was achieved with a compact, high-performance team using AI-driven process tools, reducing R&D costs by over 90%.

His accolades are many: 4 patents (2 granted), Top 25 Global Innovators in the LG Energy Solution Battery Challenge 2024, Entrepreneurship World Cup India Finalist, Uber Green Mobility Challenge Winner (2021), National Startup Award Finalist, DST AWSAR Awardee, and a showcase before Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

“Today, his lab-to-market journey is inspiring a new generation of scientists.”

Beyond his technical brilliance, he is a systems thinker, speaker, and mentor nurturing India’s next wave of clean-tech leaders. His ambition is not just to secure today’s batteries — but to build a generational chain of innovation, placing India at the forefront of global battery safety leadership.

“By turning risk into resilience and curiosity into capability, Dr. Prasit Dutta is ensuring that the batteries of tomorrow — and the generations they power — are safer because of India.”

At the Indian Achievers’ Forum, we proudly honor him as the Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 — a visionary transforming fire into fuel for a safer, sustainable world.