India Battery Recycling Services Market Research Report: Trends, Forecast & Opportunities (2026-2032)

India Battery Recycling Services Market Key Takeaways

• The India battery recycling services market was valued at USD 531.84 million in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 616.13 million in 2026 to USD 1.49 billion by 2032.
• The industry is projected to witness steady growth at a CAGR of 15.85% during the forecast period.
• Hydrometallurgical recycling is the leading recycling technology, accounting for approximately 52% of the market.
• Automotive batteries represent the largest feedstock source, contributing around 60% of the market.
• The market is moderately fragmented, with the top five companies collectively holding approximately 40% of the total market share.

India Battery Recycling Services Market Size and Outlook

The battery recycling services market in India was valued at USD 531.84 million in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 616.13 million in 2026, before expanding to USD 1.49 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 15.85% during 2026–2032. Market growth is being driven by rapid electric vehicle adoption, rising volumes of end-of-life lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries, and stricter implementation of the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework. Continued investments in hydrometallurgical recycling facilities, critical mineral recovery, and organized collection networks are further strengthening domestic recycling capacity and accelerating the transition toward a circular battery economy.

India Battery Recycling Services Market Key Indicators

• NITI Aayog projects India will generate 128 GWh of recyclable lithium-ion batteries by 2030, with electric vehicles contributing nearly 59 GWh (46%). This rapidly growing volume of end-of-life EV batteries is driving investments in hydrometallurgical recycling capacity, collection infrastructure, and critical mineral recovery to meet future recycling demand.
• According to NITI Aayog, the country generated approximately 6.19 million metric tonnes of e-waste in 2024, with volumes expected to grow at an annual rate of 16.9% to reach nearly 14 million metric tonnes by 2030. This sustained growth is significantly expanding the availability of recyclable battery materials and supporting long-term market growth.
• As per the reports by IBEF, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)-managed Battery EPR portal recorded 5.826 million tonnes of battery waste processed through formal recycling channels as of December 2025. The increasing volume processed through registered facilities reflects stronger Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) implementation and a gradual shift away from informal recycling toward organized, compliant recycling infrastructure.
• India's registered lead-acid battery recycling sector has an installed processing capacity of approximately 3.53 million tonnes per annum, providing the formal recycling industry with significant capacity to handle growing volumes of end-of-life automotive and industrial batteries. This expanding infrastructure supports higher recycling rates, strengthens domestic lead recovery, and reinforces the country's transition toward a more organized circular battery economy.

India Battery Recycling Services Market Scope

India Battery Recycling Services Market Growth Drivers

Mandatory EPR Recovery Targets Under India's Battery Waste Management Rules Driving Battery Recycling Service Demand

As per the latest provisions under India's Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, battery recycling has transitioned from a voluntary sustainability initiative to a mandatory compliance requirement for battery producers and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers. Under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, producers must ensure that end-of-life batteries are collected and recycled through CPCB-registered recyclers, with recovery targets increasing from 70% by dry weight in 2024–25 to 90% by 2026–27. Failure to meet these targets attracts environmental compensation, compelling OEMs and battery manufacturers to secure long-term contracts with certified recycling service providers instead of relying on the informal recycling sector. Consequently, compliance requirements are directly increasing demand for organized battery recycling services across India.

The expanding EV parc further strengthens this demand. India had USD 59.9 thousand registered electric vehicles as of February 2025, while EV sales reached 2.3 million units during 2025, accounting for 8% of new vehicle registrations. As these batteries reach end-of-life, EV owners are increasingly expected to return spent batteries through OEM take-back and collection programs, enabling producers to fulfil EPR obligations. This creates a continuous supply of batteries requiring professional recycling, ensuring sustained demand for organized battery recycling service providers in India.

Recent Trends

Battery Recyclers Converting Lead-Acid Processing Lines into Lithium-Ion Recovery Capacity

Battery recyclers across India are increasingly converting lead-acid processing facilities into dedicated lithium-ion recovery plants as the economics of battery recycling shift toward high-value critical mineral recovery. As compared to lead-acid batteries, which primarily yield lead as a single commodity, lithium-ion batteries contain valuable materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel that can be recovered and supplied back to cathode and cell manufacturers. This enables recyclers to generate multiple revenue streams while supporting India's expanding domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem, making lithium-ion recycling commercially more attractive than conventional lead-acid processing.

Government policy is further accelerating this transition by incentivizing recovery of critical minerals essential for reducing import dependence. In September 2025, the Ministry of Mines approved a USD 172.4 million Critical Minerals Recycling Incentive Scheme under the National Critical Minerals Mission, targeting annual recovery of 40,000 tonnes of lithium, cobalt, and nickel from battery scrap and e-waste.

Recycle Karo reflects this shift, having processed over 8,432 metric tonnes of lithium-ion batteries while achieving more than 95% recovery efficiency and 99.5% purity for cobalt sulphate and nickel sulphate. With only around 1% of India's end-of-life lithium-ion batteries currently being recycled, growing investments in lithium-ion recovery infrastructure are expected to significantly increase demand for specialized battery recycling services over the coming decade.

India Battery Recycling Services Market Opportunities and Challenges

Informal Aggregators Controlling Battery Collection Driving Formal Recyclers to Build Proprietary Sourcing Networks

India's battery recycling services market continues to face a structural challenge in securing end-of-life batteries for authorized recycling. Despite the Battery Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which strengthened Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) enforcement and introduced centralized EPR certificate pricing, only 1–5% of end-of-life batteries currently enter formal recycling systems, while 85–90% continue to be routed through informal collection networks. Informal aggregators remain the preferred disposal channel by offering doorstep collection, immediate cash payments, and extensive local reach, limiting the volume of batteries available to licensed recyclers. Consequently, organized recyclers remain feedstock-constrained even as they continue to expand processing capacity.

The shortage of formally collected batteries is encouraging recyclers to invest beyond conventional processing operations and strengthen their sourcing capabilities. Companies are developing proprietary collection networks, expanding reverse logistics, partnering with dealers and OEMs, and diversifying battery procurement through international sourcing. This strategy is gaining investor confidence. In 2026, Ardee Industries received SEBI approval for an initial public offering comprising a fresh issue of USD 36.8 million, supported by a sourcing network spanning more than 50 countries, reducing its reliance on India's fragmented domestic collection ecosystem.

As battery collection gradually formalizes under stricter EPR enforcement, recyclers with integrated sourcing and collection services are expected to secure a stronger competitive position and capture greater long-term growth in India's battery recycling services market.

Segmentation Insights

Hydrometallurgical Technology Emerges as the Leading Recycling Process with 52% Share

Growing demand for high-recovery, environmentally sustainable battery recycling has positioned the hydrometallurgical process as the preferred technology among India's organized recyclers. According to a Vellore Institute of Technology study, seven of India's thirteen active lithium-ion battery recycling companies including Attero, Exigo, SungEEL HiMetal, Surbine Recycling, Tata Chemicals, Tes-Amm, and Zip Trax use hydrometallurgical extraction as their primary recycling method. The process uses aqueous chemical solutions to recover valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese with higher efficiency than pyrometallurgical or mechanical alternatives.

The technology's high recovery rates have accelerated its adoption among organized recyclers. Attero, India's largest lithium-ion battery recycler by processing volume, operates a hydrometallurgical facility capable of recovering over 95% of critical battery materials, maximizing material value while reducing waste. Capacity expansion is also strengthening the segment's leadership. N.A.N. GreenMet, in partnership with Silox, is developing a hydrometallurgical recycling facility in Andhra Pradesh with 20,000 tonnes per annum of processing capacity and 40,000 tonnes per annum of battery shredding capacity.

Furthermore, India's Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 require 90% recovery of discarded battery materials by 2026, encouraging recyclers to adopt high-efficiency hydrometallurgical technologies and reinforcing the segment's long-term market leadership. By recycling process, the market is further segmented into the following sub-categories:

• Hydrometallurgical
• Pyrometallurgical
• Mechanical recycling
• Direct Recycling (Cathode-to-Cathode)

Automotive Batteries Dominate India's Battery Recycling Feedstock Pool with 60% Share

Their dominance is driven by the growing number of end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries entering the market, which provide recyclers with a concentrated, traceable, and high-value stream of recoverable materials compared with the fragmented collection of consumer electronics and telecom batteries.

This is supported by strategic industry partnerships and capacity expansion. In August 2025, Gurugram-based BatX Energies signed an agreement with VinFast to recycle high-voltage EV batteries in India, securing a dedicated automotive battery supply channel as the Vietnamese automaker expands its domestic operations. To support rising EV battery volumes, BatX commissioned its HUB-1 facility in Uttar Pradesh in January 2025, with processing capacity scalable from 4,000 to 20,000 tonnes per annum.

Similarly, Mumbai-based RecycleKaro has established collection networks directly with OEMs, fleet operators, and distributors to recover end-of-life automotive batteries before they enter informal recycling channels. This structured collection model strengthens compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements while ensuring a reliable supply of recyclable batteries. As India's passenger EV, two-wheeler, three-wheeler, and commercial vehicle fleets continue to expand, automotive batteries are expected to remain the dominant feedstock source, driving future investments in collection infrastructure and recycling capacity. By source the market is further segmented into the following sub-categories:

• Automotive Batteries
• Consumer Electronics
• Industrial & Stationary Energy Storage
• Telecom & UPS
• Others

India Battery Recycling Services Market Competitive Landscape

The India Battery Recycling Services Market is moderately fragmented, with the top five players collectively accounting for approximately 40% of the total market share. Attero Recycling, followed by Lohum Cleantech, Gravita India Limited, Recycle Karo, and BatX Energies.

Major Players in the India Battery Recycling Services Market

• Attero Recycling
• Lohum Cleantech
• BatX Energies
• RecycleKaro
• LICO Materials
• Gravita India Limited
• Pondy Oxides and Chemicals Ltd (POCL)
• Eco Recycling Ltd (Ecoreco)
• 3R Recycler
• TES-AMM India

India Battery Recycling Services Market News and Recent Developments

October 2025: NavPrakriti Green Energies Launches Eastern India's First Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Plant Near Kolkata

NavPrakriti Green Energies commenced operations at Eastern India's first advanced lithium-ion battery recycling facility near Kolkata, built on indigenous technology developed by the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET). The plant currently processes 1,000 tonnes of used batteries per month, with plans to scale to 2,000 tonnes monthly, and recovers aluminum and copper while producing intermediate concentrates containing nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium. The facility is positioned to serve underserved eastern states, including West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh, and founder Akhilesh Bagaria confirmed the company is engaging battery manufacturers, OEMs, and bulk battery users for collection partnerships under India's Extended Producer Responsibility framework. The launch follows the government's ₹1,500 crore scheme for battery recycling and refining under the National Critical Mineral Mission.

Impact Analysis: The plant closes a significant regional supply gap by giving eastern India its first dedicated organized recycling node, reducing collection distances and informal-sector leakage of end-of-life batteries from a five-state catchment area. This regional distribution expansion strengthens feedstock aggregation capacity outside the existing western and southern recycling clusters, positioning NavPrakriti to capture institutional EPR-compliance contracts from battery manufacturers and EV OEMs operating in eastern and northeastern markets ahead of competitors without a comparable regional footprint.

2026: Recyclekaro Inaugurates Rare Earths and Advanced Materials Research Centre in Maharashtra

Recyclekaro inaugurated a five-acre Rare Earths and Advanced Materials Research Centre at Wada in Maharashtra's Palghar district, alongside a commitment to invest approximately ₹500 crore by 2030 in research infrastructure and talent acquisition. The centre operates on a five-year roadmap targeting rare earth recovery, advanced separation and purification technologies, and battery materials optimization, and will support Recyclekaro's plan to scale rare earth processing capacity to 20,000 metric tonnes. The company currently operates processing capacity of 24,500 metric tonnes for e-waste and 10,000 metric tonnes for lithium-ion battery waste, and plans to onboard research scientists and doctoral researchers across materials science, metallurgy, and chemical engineering disciplines over the next 12 to 24 months.

Impact Analysis: The investment shifts Recyclekaro's competitive position from processing-scale recycling toward proprietary technology development, reducing reliance on imported extraction know-how for high-value rare earth and battery-material recovery. A dedicated R&D-to-plant pipeline gives the company a structural edge in yield and purity improvements that processing-only competitors lack, strengthening its ability to command premium pricing on recovered materials as India's critical mineral security priorities intensify.

May 2026: India and European Union Launch USD 17.53 million EV Battery Recycling Funding Call

India and the European Union launched a third coordinated call for proposals on electric vehicle battery recycling under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council's Working Group 2 on Green and Clean Energy Technologies, backed by a combined funding pool of €15.2 million (approximately ₹169 crore) with submissions due 15 September 2026. Co-funded by the EU's Horizon Europe programme and India's Ministry of Heavy Industries, the call targets high-efficiency material recovery processes, digitalized collection systems, and establishment of a joint India-EU pilot demonstration line in India, open to companies, SMEs, startups, and research institutions from both regions. The programme builds on the 2024 India-EU Startup Battery Recycling Technologies Exchange and targets Technology Readiness Levels of 7 to 8.

Impact Analysis: The joint funding call accelerates technology transfer into India's recycling sector by co-financing pilot-scale validation that domestic recyclers would otherwise fund alone, lowering the capital risk of deploying advanced recovery processes for mixed-chemistry battery streams. Establishing a joint pilot line inside India also creates a validated technology pathway that domestic players can license or replicate, narrowing the process-efficiency gap between Indian recyclers and established European operators.

2026: Lohum Cleantech Raises USD 26.3 million to Expand Battery Recycling and Critical Minerals Business

Lohum Cleantech secured USD 26.3 million in growth funding from Poonawalla Vision Fund-I (PVF I) and several family offices to accelerate the expansion of its battery recycling, critical mineral recovery, and advanced materials business. The investment will support capacity expansion, strengthen sustainable battery material production, and enhance the company's capabilities in cathode active materials (CAM) and other battery-related materials to meet rising demand driven by the global clean energy transition.

Impact Analysis: The funding strengthens Lohum's position as one of India's leading battery recyclers by enabling faster capacity expansion and technology development in critical mineral recovery. Increased processing capabilities will improve domestic supply of recycled battery materials, reduce dependence on imported critical minerals, and support India's circular economy and EV battery value chain as demand for sustainable battery materials continues to grow.