Kolkata, Feb 3 (PTI) Battery maker Exide Industries expects to garner additional exports of Rs 400-500 crore from the next fiscal, driven by an exclusive tie-up with a European partner and the benefits of the India-US trade deal, a company official said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters, its Managing Director and CEO Avik Roy said the company has entered into an exclusive arrangement with a European entity as part of its global exports expansion strategy.

The details of the partner and the structure of the collaboration were not disclosed.

He said the company, which is a leader in battery usage in the forklift, material handling equipment and high-end car segment in India, aims to focus on these spaces in Europe, though exports will be in private label.

Roy said the India-US trade deal, along with the India-EU trade agreement, is expected to lift exports' contribution to about 8-9 per cent of its overall revenue by the next fiscal.

Exports had declined to around 5 per cent in FY'26 due to geopolitical headwinds, he added.

On the electric mobility front, Pravin Saraf, Managing Director and CEO of Exide Energy Solutions Ltd (EESL), the company's wholly owned subsidiary for lithium-ion batteries, said the validation process for batteries for two-wheelers and three-wheelers is currently underway.

"At least for two-wheelers, production will begin by March-April 2026," Saraf said, adding that lithium-ion batteries for four-wheelers would take another one to two years.

Roy said Exide is well-positioned to cater to demand for both lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries, as two-wheeler launches are taking place in almost equal numbers across electric and internal combustion engine models.

The company plans to invest another Rs 1,400 crore in its lithium-ion battery business in FY'27, he said, adding that Rs 500 crore will be invested in the fourth quarter of the current fiscal, taking the total investment in the lithium-ion segment to about Rs 4,800 crore.

Roy said Exide expects to remain debt-free in FY'27, with the planned capital expenditure to be funded entirely through internal accruals.

He added that demand outlook remains robust, with the company targeting high single-digit to double-digit growth.

Apart from the lithium-ion business, Exide continues to invest around Rs 500 crore annually in its existing operations.

The company expects its topline to reach Rs 20,000 crore over the next three years and Rs 25,000 crore by 2030, driven by the full benefits of its lithium-ion battery business. PTI BSM BDC

Exide expects export uplift from a European tie up and trade deals, investing heavily in lithium ion batteries and targeting debt free FY27. Exide expects Rs 400-500 crore additional exports next fiscal from an exclusive European tie up and benefits of India US/India EU trade agreements, targeting exports at about 8-9% of revenue. The company will invest around Rs 1,400 crore in lithium ion batteries in FY'27 (Rs 500 crore in Q4), bringing total lithium ion investment to ~Rs 4,800 crore; two wheeler battery production is expected by March-April 2026. Planned capex will be funded from internal accruals with a target of remaining debt free in FY'27.