In 2010, a quiet but strategic event took place which would later alter the world’s relationship with critical minerals. Following a maritime dispute with Japan, China implemented a temporary ban on rare earth element exports to Japan. The ban sent ripple effects down supply chains across the world – especially the automotive sector in Japan. Prices skyrocketed overnight. The world experienced perhaps for the first time in a meaningful way, that critical minerals like lithium and cobalt were not simply technical inputs; they were the new oil. They were a geopolitical asset that could wreck entire industries – clean energy, consumer electronics, defense, automotive, etc.
As India strides toward becoming an economic powerhouse, the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) hinges not just on manufacturing capacity or policy frameworks, but also on control over critical minerals. Lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earths, all needed to create the batteries, motors and devices that will fuel the India of the future. But therein lies the dilemma—India has global aspirations, yet has little domestic access to the majority of these resources.
The Backbone of the Clean Tech Revolution
Lithium-ion batteries form the backbone of electric vehicles (EVs), grid-scale energy storage and portable electronics. According to IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2024, global EV sales surpassed 14 million units in 2023, and the Indian EV market is forecasted to reach USD 152 billion by 2030. This entails a need for exponential growth in the number of batteries produced and, consequently, demand for critical minerals.
However, India currently relies on importing more than 90 per cent of its lithium and cobalt. Supply is reportedly from China, Chile, and the Democrat Republic of Congo, creating a situation of over-reliance on a limited number of countries. There are risks with such over-reliance–not only in regard to cost and supply support, but also from a national security and industrial sovereignty perspective.
The Case for Urban Mining
While traditional mining faces environmental, social, and logistical hurdles, India sits on an untapped urban mine of immense potential: its electronic waste and spent lithium-ion batteries.
India produced a total of 1.751 million e-waste last year, according to data presented by the Minister of State for Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. And lithium-ion batteries account for a growing share of this total. This is expected to touch 200,000 metric tonnes per year by 2030.
Here’s the opportunity
Every tonne of spent lithium-ion batteries contains approximately 100 kg of valuable metals, including lithium, cobalt, and nickel. When recovered using advanced recycling techniques, these metals can be used to produce new batteries thus reducing reliance on imports, lowering environmental impact, and creating a domestic circular economy. We believe this is the frontier India must embrace.
The Economic & Strategic Rationale
Establishing a critical minerals strategy isn’t just an environmental or industrial goal, it’s an economic imperative. According to the World Bank, the demand for critical minerals could rise by 500 per cent by 2050 in order to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement. If India can create domestic sourcing pathways through urban mining, closed-loop supply chains, and end-of-life battery recovery, it can save billions in import bills, reduce geopolitical risks, and create high-value green jobs in the clean-tech sector.
The Indian government launched the National Critical Minerals Mission, announced in Budget 2025, with ₹34,300 crore allocated to identify and develop domestic resources. Lithium reserves in Jammu & Kashmir and exploration efforts in Karnataka and Chhattisgarh are steps toward reducing dependence on mineral-rich countries like China, Chile, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Furthermore, while the government’s Battery Waste Management Rules (2022) and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for ACC battery manufacturing are commendable steps forward, it is now essential to expand both the depth and breadth of our efforts.
The Way Forward: A National Critical Mineral Strategy
India Energy Storage Alliance’s launch of the India Reuse and Recycling Council (IRRC) marks a significant step toward fostering a strong ecosystem for battery recycling and second-life applications. However, to truly achieve Atmanirbharta in the critical minerals sector, we need more than policy intent; we need a national integrated strategy. We must start with a focused urban mining infrastructure program. India is forecasted to produce more than 200,000 metric tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste annually by 2030 (CPCB), and we will need regionally distributed recycling capabilities coupled with local partners especially in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, states with lots of EV penetration. By developing a local partner that can leverage technology as well as other financial incentives to process large volumes of materials where sustainable recovery of critical materials is possible.
Having a mandated collection and reverse logistics systems is just as important as the recycling infrastructure. OEMs should be held accountable for the lifecycle of their batteries via Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) norms, including systems to specify shipment norms, and clearly defined and measurable targets. The key component of any take-back system is a reliable ecosystem to ensure that retired batteries are not discarded, unrecycled into the landfill, or left untethered in the informal sector.
At the same time, government support needs to be stepped up in terms of research and development for advanced recycling technologies, efficient extraction of rare-earth elements from e-waste.
The shipping dispute between China and Japan was a wake-up call for the world. It made one thing clear: in the 21st century, minerals can move markets, unsettle economies, and shift the axis of power. That lesson is still relevant, perhaps even more so today and India must not fall behind in realising it.
