'Colloidal gel batteries find application in telecommunication towers and we will be importing the technology from a Japanese company,' he added.

Exide also plans to introduce lithium ion batteries for automobiles this fiscal.

'We would be initially importing the batteries from a Chinese company following an agreement signed in the fourth quarter of last year (2008-09) and we plan to manufacture them at a later stage,' Ramanathan said.

Lithium batteries are considered to be environment-friendly batteries and take less time to charge than conventional lead-acid batteries.