India bans battery waste exports to boost recycling

NEW DELHI: The Centre has banned the export of battery waste, scrap and lithium-ion battery black mass with immediate effect to strengthen domestic recycling and reduce dependence on imported critical minerals.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) announced the restriction on Wednesday. Black mass is a powder obtained by shredding used lithium-ion batteries. It contains valuable minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite, which are used in electric vehicles, electronic devices and energy storage systems.

In 2025‑26, India’s imports of electrical and electronic waste rose nearly 29 per cent to USD 553.19 million, from USD 430.32 million in the previous year. Lithium imports also rose to USD 46.91 million from USD 35.71 million.

A DGFT official said the ban would give Indian recyclers better access to raw materials and encourage investment in recycling facilities.

Nitin Gupta, CEO of Attero, said exporting black mass for processing and importing refined materials resulted in a loss of domestic value addition. He said the ban would help recyclers expand operations. Uditanshu Agarwal of Staunch Electronics said the move would strengthen India’s domestic supply chain.