The government has launched a major initiative to boost domestic extraction of critical minerals from recycled sources, with a ₹1,500-crore incentive scheme aimed at developing industry capacity for recycling e-waste, spent batteries, and other scrap materials.

The scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet on September 3, forms a key component of the National Critical Mineral Mission and is designed to strengthen India’s supply chain sustainability in the near term. The Ministry of Mines issued detailed guidelines for the scheme on October 2, 2025, following stakeholder consultations. The application process began the same day and has received a positive response from industry participants.

Under the scheme, eligible feedstock includes e-waste, spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and other scrap such as catalytic converters from end-of-life vehicles. India generates an estimated 1.75 million tonnes of e-waste annually and about 60 kilo tonnes of spent LIBs, with volumes expected to increase significantly over the next few years.