Shishir Poddar & Tirupati Graphite: Sustainability is the Buzz Word

Tirupati Graphite CEO: Shishir Poddar

Increasingly, investors want their cash to have a real impact on efforts to combat climate change; they want to see positive and measurable social and environmental effects, along with a financial return. 

While some businesses are scrambling to rethink their strategies and sign-up to new targets, one company was early to the game, with sustainability and mitigating climate change at its core.

London Stock Exchange-listed Tirupati Graphite is a fully integrated producer and developer of high-grade natural flake graphite, speciality graphite, and graphene. These sustainable materials have extensive, unique properties – and many green applications. Tirupati places a special emphasis on that last attribute: with renewable energy generation and storage, this is a company committed to creating products that are as sustainable as possible.

CEO Shishir Poddar admits that the potentials of graphite and graphene are not generally well understood. “Not many people are aware that lithium-ion batteries contain 10-15 times more spherical graphite (SPG) than lithium, and that currently, most battery-grade graphite is processed in China using hydrofluoric acid (HF) and heat treatment methods.

“It goes without saying that the environmental damage associated with these methods of purifying graphite are high. We have developed zero-waste zero-HF purification technology enabling us to manufacture and supply sustainable SPG products to EV makers.”

Graphene, one or more atom-thick layers of flake graphite, has been hailed as a “wonder material”, unparalleled mechanical properties & highly conductive for heat and electricity. It also has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption, reduce material consumption, improve the life of materials and next-gen materials, and address various challenges across industries and applications.

Tirupati is a trend-setter in this space, too; it recently announced that it had further optimised the material properties of its zero-chemical graphene products to consistently achieve a specific surface area of 1100-1200 m²/g from 400–500 m²/g. This can further enhance the uses and compatibility of the material in various applications under development.

In recognition of Tirupati’s green credentials, the London Stock Exchange added it to a select group of companies accredited with its Green Economy Mark when it listed in late 2020. The Green Economy Mark recognises companies that derive 50 percent or more of total annual revenues from products and services that contribute to the global green economy. The underlying methodology incorporates the Green Revenues data model developed by FTSE Russell, which helps investors understand the global industrial transition to a green and low-carbon economy with consistent, transparent data and indices.

With over 150 years of collective corporate, commercial, and technical experience, the Tirupati team has proved a force to be reckoned with. Led by Poddar, with 30 years of personal expertise in the space, it Tirupati comprises world industry leaders including Matthieu Gresil (PhD), a global expert in the world of composites and nanomaterials, and the developer of graphene-enhanced polymers and composites.

Sustainability can no longer languish on the side-lines; major changes to businesses, industries and supply chains are needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Tirupati is leading the charge with efforts to develop technologies and products to support the green supply chain for electric vehicles and other applications that benefit the planet. Flake graphite has over 150 applications with multiple other green contributions and Tirupati is moving to become a global leader in the space with a sustainable strategy emanating from the industry dynamics.