Can India transform its battery waste?

Our Founder and MD, Mr. Shriram Subramanian, has shared an insightful article in Financial Express addressing India's pivotal decision to classify black mass as hazardous waste and restrict its export. This move aims to strengthen India’s critical minerals strategy by ensuring that valuable materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, found in recycled lithium-ion batteries, remain within the country to support its growing electric vehicle (EV) and renewable energy sectors.

While this decision marks an important step towards reducing India’s dependency on imported raw materials, significant challenges remain. India’s battery waste management infrastructure is still developing, and the informal sector handles a large portion of waste through unsafe and unscientific practices. He noted the need for robust enforcement, technology investments, and formalizing the informal sector to build a sustainable and circular economy.

The article also highlights the importance of government support, advanced recycling technologies, and strategic interventions to ensure that India’s battery recycling ecosystem can meet the growing demand for critical minerals and drive the nation’s clean energy ambitions forward.

Read the full article here: Can India transform its battery waste? - Opinion News | The Financial Express