In this episode of The SP Show, Sri Popuri speaks with Dr Sathiya Mariyappan, CNRS Researcher at Collège de France, about the science, commercial reality and future of sodium-ion batteries.

Sathiya explains why sodium-ion isn't simply a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion, and where its real advantages could emerge, including high-power applications, low-temperature performance, energy storage and AI data centres.

The conversation goes deep into hard carbon anodes, NVP and NVPF cathodes, layered and polyanionic materials, electrolytes, battery interfaces and anionic redox. Sathiya explains how her work helped establish reversible anionic redox and why scientifically exciting battery materials do not always translate into commercially successful cells.

They also discuss why Europe remains behind China in battery manufacturing, whether Europe could lose the sodium-ion race as well, India's opportunity in battery manufacturing, the challenges of scaling research into real products, Sathiya's scepticism around current solid-state battery approaches, and how AI is changing scientific research.

Sathiya also shares her personal journey from a small village in India to battery research at one of France's leading scientific institutions.

A conversation about much more than sodium-ion: how battery technologies actually move from scientific discovery to industrial reality.

The SP Show explores batteries, EVs, energy, AI infrastructure and the industries and investments shaping their future.