Your battery pack is only as reliable as your supply chain.
You can design the most efficient BMS, build a robust thermal architecture, and optimize the perfect cell layout—but if your cells don’t arrive on time or your PCBA components are stuck in customs, the entire production plan falls apart. Battery pack manufacturing is under immense pressure to scale, especially across EVs, energy storage, consumer electronics, and industrial automation—but the backend sourcing challenges often become the bottleneck.
At Karkhana.io, we’ve helped dozens of hardware companies scale up their battery manufacturing. In nearly every case, the biggest challenges haven’t been in the design files—they’ve been in the supply chain.
This blog explores the real-world struggles manufacturers face in sourcing battery cells and components—and how to mitigate risk, manage uncertainty, and still move fast.
1. Securing Battery Cells: Easier Said Than Done
Battery cells are the heart of the pack—and also the most volatile part of the supply chain. Global demand consistently outpaces supply, especially for NMC, LFP, or solid-state cells.
The harsh truths:
- Tier 1 cell suppliers often reserve volumes for large OEMs.
- Lead times for cylindrical or pouch cells can stretch to 20+ weeks.
- MOQ constraints make prototyping and small batch runs difficult.
- Shifting specs or discontinued SKUs force costly redesigns.
Our solution at Karkhana.io:
We’ve built strong relationships with verified cell suppliers across India, China, and Southeast Asia. For our customers, we offer pre-qualified cell options, alternate sourcing strategies, and in some cases, buffer inventory models to ensure production timelines aren’t derailed by cell unavailability.
2. Component Shortages: The PCBA Bottleneck
If cells are the heart, PCBAs are the brains. Unfortunately, recent years have seen recurring shortages in semiconductors, microcontrollers, power ICs, and even basic passive components. These shortages aren’t just inconvenient—they can completely stall pack production.
Common issues:
- Specific BMS chips or MOSFETs going out of stock globally
- Long lead times for automotive-grade components
- Frequent spec changes from suppliers forcing firmware redesign
- Grey market risk for critical ICs
How we help:
Our sourcing team works proactively with manufacturers and certified distributors to forecast demand and lock inventory early. We also advise customers on designing with second-source-compatible components, so they aren’t boxed in by single-vendor constraints. And with 7 SMT lines and 5 through-hole lines, we can rapidly prototype alternate PCBA builds using available inventory.
3. Regulatory and Customs Complexities
Battery-related imports are heavily regulated. Cells, battery management chips, and other components often fall under DGFT, BIS, WPC, or other compliance frameworks. Add to that varying logistics regulations for lithium-based products, and even experienced teams can get stuck.
Where things break down:
- Non-compliant labels or incorrect UN codes for lithium cells
- Held-up shipments due to documentation gaps
- Delays in BIS certifications or import licenses
- Poor packaging triggering customs inspection or rejection
What we do differently:
Karkhana.io supports customers with end-to-end documentation management, customs coordination, and import clearances. Our logistics team works with freight partners who specialize in lithium and electronics handling, ensuring faster, smoother movement of critical goods—so your timeline doesn’t get tied up at the port.
4. Managing Multi-Supplier Dependencies
A typical battery pack may involve a dozen suppliers: cells, connectors, thermistors, adhesives, PCBAs, enclosures, fasteners, fuses, wires, thermal pads—and each of these has its own lead time and MOQ. Now imagine coordinating all of them across different geographies and time zones. Delays in even one component can put the entire assembly line on hold.
The challenges:
- Lack of visibility into component-level timelines
- Siloed procurement teams managing different parts
- Inconsistent quality across vendors
- No centralized supplier accountability
Karkhana.io’s approach:
We act as your single point of contact for procurement and manufacturing. With a vetted network of over 500 suppliers and a strong project management backbone, we consolidate procurement, manage timelines across all parts, and ensure everything is synchronized to your build schedule. That means fewer moving parts for your team—and higher on-time delivery rates.
5. Quality and Traceability: The Silent Supply Chain Risks
Securing parts is one thing—ensuring they’re authentic and consistent is another. Especially with high-demand items like cells and ICs, the risk of grey market components or re-labelled goods is very real.
We’ve seen:
- Battery cells with mismatched lot codes or cycle counts
- ICs with altered markings or fake datasheets
- PCBs built with passive components that don’t match spec
- Vendors skipping quality checks under delivery pressure
What Karkhana.io guarantees:
All components we source go through a multi-level inspection process, and every unit we build offers 100% traceability—down to lot code and supplier batch. For mission-critical components, we even offer third-party lab validation for authenticity and performance.
6. Balancing Cost, Availability, and Compliance
Speed and scale are important—but not at the cost of safety, quality, or regulatory compliance. Still, many manufacturers are forced to cut corners due to high costs or delays.
You don’t need to compromise.
At Karkhana.io, we help customers navigate the trade-offs between cost, availability, and compliance. Need a low-cost cell with decent cycle life for a backup power system? Or an ultra-high reliability pack for industrial automation? We help you balance the three dimensions—by mapping your product’s risk profile to the right sourcing strategy.
Final Word: Build Resilience Into the Supply Chain
Supply chain challenges aren’t going away. In fact, as battery applications grow, they’re only getting more complex. The key isn’t to avoid challenges—it’s to build a resilient supply chain framework that can adapt, scale, and deliver consistently.
At Karkhana.io, our turnkey battery pack manufacturing services are designed to absorb complexity on your behalf—from sourcing and traceability to assembly and testing. With a 1,00,000 sq. ft. facility, dedicated sourcing team, and scalable infrastructure, we don’t just build battery packs. We build reliability into every component.
Ready to de-risk your battery supply chain? Let’s talk.