Paving Way For Sustainable And Self-Reliant Recycling Ecosystem

New Delhi: As India gears up for the Union Budget 2025-26, the focus on sustainability and resource self-sufficiency has never been more critical.

The country generates over 3.2 million metric tonnes of e-waste annually, making it the third-largest producer globally. Industry leaders are advocating for strategic policy measures, including a Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the recycling sector, a rollback of the GST hike from 5 per cent to 18 per cent on waste management, and increased investment in cutting-edge recycling technologies.

India currently imports over 90 per cent of its critical minerals, exposing the economy to global supply chain vulnerabilities. The upcoming budget presents a pivotal opportunity to build further on the recently announced National Critical Mineral Mission and achieve a self-reliant circular economy.

“India stands at a pivotal moment in its journey toward a recycling revolution, driven by the rapid surge in e-waste generation, which has increased by 73 per cent between 2019 and 2023. The launch of the ‘Critical Minerals Mission’ offers a unique opportunity to address this challenge while building a self-reliant ecosystem for resource recovery,” said Nitin Gupta, CEO and Co-founder of Attero.

“To further accelerate progress, we strongly advocate the introduction of a PLI scheme for the recycling industry. Such a policy would not only incentivise investments in advanced recycling technologies but also facilitate large-scale capacity building, thereby reducing reliance on imports for critical minerals,” Gupta added.

Gupta said that even as China is a dominant supplier of critical minerals, India must adopt policies that promote recycling and domestic production to achieve self-sufficiency.