Kent RO Systems, the Noida-based water purifier maker, has entered home energy storage with a new division called KENT New Energy. It announced the launch on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, and has already put nearly Rs 250 crore into a lithium battery and inverter plant in Sector 159, Noida.
The plant starts with an installed annual capacity of 3.5 GWh. Kent plans to take that to 10 GWh within six months, and Chairman and Managing Director Mahesh Gupta said the company will invest another Rs 50 crore in the same period.
Why A Water Purifier Company Is Building Batteries
Kent’s reasoning is distribution rather than manufacturing. The batteries and inverters will ride the dealer network, retail stores and online channels that already sell its water purifiers.
The Products And Where The Cells Come From
KENT New Energy has two ranges. The solar range pairs lithium batteries with hybrid inverters: battery capacity runs from 5.1 kWh to 16 kWh, single phase inverters come in 3 kW, 5 kW and 6 kW models, and three phase units in 10 kW, 12 kW and 15 kW. Each hybrid inverter ships with a 4G data logger and a five year data pack, letting installers monitor units and change settings remotely, with data stored on servers in India.
The backup range covers 12 volt and 24 volt lithium batteries meant to replace lead acid units in existing home inverters and UPS systems, plus an all in one inverter with a built in battery and the H1 series of home UPS products. Cells are imported from suppliers including EVE and REPT and assembled into packs in Noida.
Read more: GreenCell Mobility Raises Rs 330 Crore From Impact Fund Denmark for Electric Bus Fleet. The electric bus operator raised that round from a climate-focused investor, the same appetite for clean energy assets that Kent RO is now betting on.
Revenue And The Rs 500 Crore Factory
Kent reported turnover of Rs 1,350 crore in FY26, of which water purifiers contributed about Rs 1,000 crore. Gupta expects to close FY27 at around Rs 1,750 crore, roughly 30 per cent higher. “This (fiscal) year (FY27) we expect to close around Rs 1,750 crore. Last (fiscal) year we closed at Rs 1,350 crore,” he said.
A larger commitment sits alongside the Noida plant. Kent has been allotted a 25 acre plot in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority area near the upcoming Noida International Airport, with about 11 lakh square feet of built up space planned. It will spend about Rs 300 crore on construction and Rs 200 crore on equipment, a total of Rs 500 crore over three years, funded from internal accruals. Gupta ruled out an immediate IPO or private equity investment: “We go slow and steady, and we go with our internal resources.”
Costs, Competition And Policy Support
Gupta was direct about the constraint: batteries and inverters remain highly priced, cells are still imported, and rising chip prices add uncertainty. Kent will seek government subsidies for energy storage, he said, and the government is assessing whether the industry is ready for such support. Domestic cell manufacturing could develop as demand grows but would need substantial investment, so the near term priority is building demand.
The market Kent is entering is estimated at about USD 1.31 billion in 2026 and is expected to grow at double digit rates through 2031, according to Mordor Intelligence. Rooftop solar is the pull factor: Mercom India Research said residential installations accounted for 82 per cent of the 2.7 GW of rooftop capacity added in India in the first quarter of 2026.
Exports And The Road To 10 GWh
Kent’s exports are around Rs 50 crore, sold under its own brand through distributors in Kuwait, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, several African countries, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Gupta said the company is in discussions with prospective buyers in Europe and is exploring battery exports there.
On the new vertical, he set an internal marker: “I have taken a very aggressive step in terms of solar, hybrid inverters, and batteries to begin with. That itself, vertical can go to Rs 1,000 crore in two to three years’ time for me.” The nearer test is whether the 3.5 GWh line in Noida reaches 10 GWh, and whether dealers make room for a new brand on a shelf that Exide, Amara Raja and Luminous already own.
