Among the many different themes discussed at IMRC, the theme "Closing the Loop: Critical Minerals and Electric Vehicle Batteries" was discussed in-depth. This session represents the convergence of a number of issues, including Clean Energy Goals, Electric Mobility, Supply Chain Geopolitical Risks and Recycling Capacity.
Critical Minerals (for example: Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, Copper, Rare Earth Elements, Platinum Group Metals) have moved beyond being niche products that were typically used in only niche industries and have become an essential component of virtually every emerging technology necessary for the economic future of India, including: Electric Vehicle (EV) Technology; Renewable Energy Systems; Grid Scale Storage; Semiconductor Technology; Defense Technology and Advanced Electronic Devices. Dr. Anupam Agnihotri, Director, JNARDDC, stated in the session, "Every new industry and technology you can think of is dependent on critical minerals for at least one part of their manufacturing process".
To put this into perspective, the amount of critical minerals being sold on a global scale is estimated to be approximately $800 billion. More importantly, according to the World Bank, about 30-40% of global GDP (gross domestic product) is directly related to the timely and affordable access to critical minerals. As such critical minerals have become what many speakers referred to as a new geopolitical currency with supply chains increasingly being developed through resource nationalism, strategic reserves and international competition.
At IMRC 2026, we communicated the importance of recycling to our nation's resource security by positioning recycling not as an ancillary environmental activity to help us, but as the very foundation of our nation's resource security. We also discussed how India can reduce its dependence on imported minerals by leveraging recycling, innovative policies, and large-scale industrialization to create a resilient critical minerals value chain even in the absence of significant domestic mineral reserves.
Overview of the Session, Speakers, and Attribution of Perspectives
The speakers for this session included a mix of individuals from policy-making institutions, government-sponsored research organisations, international cooperation agencies and leading recycling and clean technology companies in India. The session was designed as an integrated dialogue rather than having individual keynote speakers with each speaker bringing a different perspective that contributed to the overall policy vision and operational reality of the discussion.
The framework for policy and institutions has primarily been articulated by Dr. Anupam Agnihotri, who is the Director at the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research & Development Centre (JNARDDC) and he provided an overview of the National Critical Mineral Mission (2025-2030). Dr. Agnihotri also stressed that critical minerals are the foundation of the clean technology revolution in the 21st century and stated that our country has a 5-6 year window of opportunity before global supply chains contract due to the rising trend of Resource Nationalism. Ultimately, Dr. Agnihotri's presentation will be the basis for the quantitative policy narrative identified in this session including: ₹1,500 crore recycling incentive scheme and the 24 Critical Minerals identified and established the nine Centres of Excellence that will be converting R&D into industrial sized products.
The scientific and technological routes of extraction were presented by Dr. Alok Ranjan Paital, a Principal Scientist at CSIR-CSMCRI and Ms. Rukshana Parween, Senior Research Fellow at CSIR-NML. Dr. Paital focused on extraction technologies for lithium and other critical minerals, explaining that battery recycling fundamentally involves two stages: “first, generation of black mass, and second, recovery of metal ions from that black mass.” He highlighted hydrometallurgical processes as globally accepted as best practices because they yield high-quality outputs, while also mentioning newer, emerging technologies, such as direct cathode-to-cathode regeneration that are still developing. Mr. Parween supported his comments with information from CSIR–NML about how India has around 472 lithium-ion battery recyclers registered, however, around 90% of them are only able to generate black mass and only 10% do complete metal recovery.
The policy–industry interface and international cooperation were discussed by Dr. Rachna Arora, Director, Climate Change and Circular Economy at GIZ India, who discussed cooperation between Europe and India on critical raw materials. She highlighted the need for technology transfers and joint R&D; she also stressed the need for capacity-building and skills development in Europe as it develops hydrometallurgical and hybrid recycling technologies. Dr. Arora also pointed out that nearly 90% of batteries do not go through a formal recycling process, leading to material being lost and therefore not having value.
Mr. Pratyush Sinha, Vice President of Special Projects at Lohum Cleantech, moderated and provided a framework for the session in which he characterized the issue of critical minerals from both a historical and contemporary perspective. He discussed how ancient disputes over copper trade were comparable to today's supply chain risk and noted that recycling already provides an average of 30 to 35 percent of the world's critical minerals. Thus, there is a significant opportunity for India to leverage recycling, even though India's domestic mining reserves are very limited.
The industry representatives spoke to issues on scale, economics, and market structure. The industry representatives included Mr. Vijay Pareek, Executive Director and SBU Head of Gravita (India) Ltd.; Mr. ANL Rao, Business Head of Recykal; Mr. Bhuwan Purohit, Executive Director of Rubamin Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. Gaurav Dolwani, CEO of LICO Materials Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. Prassan Daphal, CEO of Recyclekaro; and Mr. Pratik Gupta, Assistant Vice President Operations of Pondy Oxides and Chemicals Ltd. These speakers collectively identified challenges with regard to raw material availability, traceability, pricing transparency, and the importance of increased enforcement of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations to stop shipments of black mass, as well as to secure feedstock for domestic recyclers.
Critical Minerals as a Strategic and Geopolitical Asset
One of the major themes of the session was the realization that critical minerals have transcended the status of commodities to become strategic resources. Governments around the globe are now using two major criteria to define the criticality of resources: economic value and risk of supply. The Ministry of Mines in India has identified 24 critical minerals.
The vulnerability of India is not merely in the growth of demand, but in its extreme import dependence:
- Lithium: ~90% import dependent
- Nickel: ~70% import dependent
- Cobalt: ~60–65% import dependent
- Over 35% of the 24 identified critical minerals are 100% import dependent
Speakers emphasized the growing vulnerability of global supply chains. Some countries are pursuing resource nationalism policies, and exports of raw materials, scrap, and even black mass are being curbed. While warning about the tightening of global supply chains, Dr. Anupam Agnihotri said, “In the coming days, no one is going to export critical minerals, even in the form of scrap or waste.”
This has resulted in a situation that has been referred to as a five to six year window of opportunity for India to take decisive action. This is because if India fails to take advantage of this opportunity, it will be locked into a position of dependency at a time when global competition for resources is intensifying.
Demand Explosion: EVs, Energy Storage, and Net-Zero Targets
The main reason for the sense of urgency with respect to critical minerals is the ambition of India to have clean energy. The session provided projections that showed how the demand for key minerals will increase in the coming decades.
Electric Vehicles and Mobility
- India’s EV demand is projected to reach 90 million vehicles, rising further to 375 million vehicles by 2047 under the Viksit Bharat vision.
- This transition alone is expected to drive fourfold growth in lithium and nickel demand, and nearly sixfold growth in cobalt demand.
Energy Storage and Renewables
- Battery energy storage capacity is projected to increase from 400 GWh to 2,380 GWh.
- Solar energy capacity is targeted to reach 280 GW, representing a 20-fold increase, driving demand for silicon, silver, and copper.
- Wind power capacity is expected to grow from 150 GW to 410 GW, with rare earth magnets becoming a critical input.
- Nuclear energy capacity is projected to expand from 20 GW to 100 GW by 2047, increasing reliance on uranium and associated critical materials.
Summarizing the scale of the challenge, Dr. Rachna Arora, Director – Climate Change and Circular Economy, GIZ India, stated that “the road to net zero is paved with critical minerals.” Without assured access to these materials, India’s energy transition risks stalling.
The National Critical Minerals Mission: Policy Architecture and Targets
One of the key areas of emphasis during the session was the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) of India, which is a flagship program that will be operational from 2025 to 2030. The mission aims to enhance the entire value chain, ranging from exploration to recycling.
Key Mission Targets
- 1,200 domestic exploration projects by 2030
- Domestic production of at least 15 critical minerals within 5–6 years
- Acquisition of 50 overseas mining assets by Indian companies
- Establishment of nine Centres of Excellence operating on a hub-and-spoke model
- Financial support of ₹20 crore per Centre of Excellence for pilot-scale facilities
Recycling Incentive Scheme
A cornerstone of the mission is the ₹1,500 crore incentive scheme for critical mineral recycling, covering three waste streams:
- Spent batteries
- E-waste
- Other critical-mineral-bearing waste
The scheme categorizes companies into:
- Group A: Global Manufacturing Revenue (GMR) > ₹200 crore
- Group B: GMR < ₹200 crore
Eligibility and Financial Support:
- Minimum processing capacity:
- Group A: 10,000 tonnes per annum of e-waste
- Group B: 5,000 tonnes per annum
- Minimum investment:
- Group A: ₹100 crore
- Group B: ₹25 crore
- CAPEX support:
- Group A: up to ₹50 crore or 20% of plant & machinery (whichever is lower)
- Group B: up to ₹25 crore
- OPEX subsidy:
- 40% in 2027
- 60% during 2030–31
- OPEX cap: ₹10 crore
The scheme targets the recycling of 400 kilotonnes of material, signaling a shift from pilot-scale experimentation to industrial-scale deployment.
From Lab to Field: Technology Pathways in Battery Recycling
A recurring emphasis throughout the session was the need to bridge laboratory innovation and industrial application. Battery recycling was described as a two-stage challenge:
- Generation of black mass
- Extraction and purification of metal ions from black mass
Dominant Technologies
Globally, hydrometallurgical methods are the most preferred in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries because of their high recovery efficiency and purity. These methods are set as standards in various countries like the United States, China, South Korea, and the European Union.
Other methods, such as pyrometallurgy, bioleaching, and combined mechanical-hydrometallurgical processes, were also considered, although hydrometallurgy is still the
Another growing but quite nascent technology that was pointed out during the session was direct cathode-to-cathode regeneration. This technology essentially involves the reinsertion of lithium into spent cathodes, which may circumvent the need for the complete extraction of metal.
R&D and Startup Support
Under the NCMM’s Science & Technology program:
- Research projects at TRL 3 and above are eligible for support
- Startups receive up to ₹2 crore for setup and scaling
Projects highlighted included recovery of gallium, nickel from industrial sludge, potash from granitic rock, and pilot-scale production of battery-grade silicon.
India’s Recycling Reality: Capacity, Gaps, and Leakages
Despite policy momentum, the session acknowledged stark on-ground challenges. India currently has approximately 472 registered lithium-ion battery recyclers and dismantlers. However:
- ~90% of recycling activity is limited to black mass generation
- Only ~10% undertake end-to-end metal recovery
One of the major issues that arose was the export of black mass to other countries like China and South Korea, which is done in the name of EPR. This results in the loss of raw material for recycling in India.
The informal sector is still the dominant sector, with estimates indicating that only ~10% of the batteries are processed through the formal recycling channel. Pointing out the shortcomings of the informal sector, Ms. Rukshana Parween, Senior Research Fellow, CSIR-NML, said, “Not every critical raw material can be extracted by the informal sector, and that is where the value is being lost.”
Raw Material Security, Traceability, and Circular Economy Solutions
The second panel was on raw material security and explored systemic problems and possible solutions.
Key Challenges
- Lack of battery labeling by chemistry (LCO, LFP, NMC, etc.)
- Absence of quantified national recycling targets (e.g., 30% by 2030)
- Fragmented collection systems and widespread leakages
- Price opacity and lack of standardized national pricing mechanisms
Proposed Solutions
- Mandatory battery chemistry labeling at point of sale
- Stronger enforcement of EPR to prevent black mass exports
- Deposit-refund schemes to improve collection rates
- Expansion of second-life battery applications to extend asset life
- Creation of transparent pricing platforms, akin to LME or MCX, for recycled materials
Speakers emphasized that recycling must evolve from a waste-management activity into a strategic industrial sector aligned with circular economy principles.
International Collaboration and the EU–India Opportunity
International cooperation emerged as a key enabler, particularly through EU–India partnerships. Areas identified for collaboration included:
- Technology transfer
- Joint R&D programs
- Capacity building and skill development
- Traceability and compliance systems
Such partnerships were framed not as dependency, but as accelerators for India’s domestic ecosystem.
Conclusion: A Narrow Window, A Strategic Imperative
The MRAI Conference - IMRC 2026 session ended with a clear message: “India’s moment is now.” There is a five-to-six-year window before the global supply chains become even tighter, and the time has come for India to make a decisive move to translate policy intentions into industrial reality.
Recycling was repeatedly highlighted as the “strategic strength of India” , a way to transition from vulnerability to resilience, and from import dependence to self-reliance in recycling. The importance of turning this strength into a reality was emphasized in the discussions, and it was highlighted that the next few years would be critical in deciding whether India would be a competitive player in the recycling of critical minerals or would be dependent on the global supply chain.
(IRuniverse Rohini Basunde)
