India has secured commitments for 850 kilotonnes (KT) of critical minerals recycling capacity against an initial target of 270 KT, reflecting strong industry confidence in the Government’s incentive framework and bolstering the country’s ambition to emerge as a global hub for critical minerals recycling by 2030. The announcement was made by Piyush Goyal, IAS, Union Secretary, Ministry of Mines, while inaugurating the one-day conference on “India’s Critical Minerals Recycling Landscape” organised by the Materials Recycling Association of India (MRAI).
Highlighting the rapid progress under the National Critical Mineral Mission, Mr Goyal said the Ministry had approved 58 qualified recyclers under the ₹1,500-crore incentive scheme within a month of the application deadline. “Against the target of 270 kilotonnes, we have received commitments of 850 kilotonnes. This gives us confidence that India can emerge as a major hub for critical mineral recycling not only in Asia but globally by the next decade,” he said.
Mr Goyal outlined the broader scale of India’s critical minerals strategy, noting that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has already completed 571 exploration projects, while another 300 are expected to be completed this year. Against the original target of 1,200 exploration projects by 2031, the Ministry now expects to exceed 2,000 projects, aided by increasing participation from private exploration agencies.
On the mining front, Mr Goyal said India achieved a historic milestone by auctioning 212 mineral blocks last year. He added that 36 mines, including 28 greenfield projects, were operationalised during 2025-26, while another 50 to 60 greenfield mines are expected to commence operations during the current financial year.
Emphasising the need for value addition, he announced that the Government is supporting the development of four Critical Minerals Processing Parks in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra, with recycling integrated as a core component of the infrastructure.
Referring to the Union Budget’s Rare Earth Corridors initiative, Mr Goyal said discussions with participating states were progressing well and expressed confidence that India would not only meet domestic demand for minerals such as zirconium and titanium by 2030 but also emerge as an exporter of value-added products.
A major challenge, he noted, remains the development of a domestic processing ecosystem for battery minerals. “Our companies have acquired lithium, cobalt and other critical mineral assets overseas, but much of the material continues to be traded outside India because we lack a complete value chain. After six rounds of stakeholder consultations, we are now close to finalising a scheme to build processing capabilities for battery minerals,” he said.
The recycling incentive scheme covers 27 critical minerals and links incentives to actual mineral recovery and processing rather than merely producing black mass. The programme is expected to create at least 300,000 tonnes of annual e-waste recycling capacity by 2030.
Mr Goyal also stressed the importance of urban mining and collection infrastructure, noting that significant quantities of critical minerals remain locked in household and industrial waste streams. The Ministry is developing pilot projects for scientific collection systems and exploring viability gap funding models, while also planning a unified national portal connecting recyclers, collection networks and the informal sector.
Speaking at the conference,Rajeev Kumar, Chairman, Pahle India Foundation and former Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, said critical minerals and recycling had become central to India’s ambitions in electric vehicles, semiconductors, renewable energy and artificial intelligence. He called for stronger coordination under the National Critical Mineral Mission and a national blueprint supported by state governments and urban local bodies.
Earlier, Sanjay Mehta, President, MRAI, highlighted India’s emergence as a recycling powerhouse. “Mining alone cannot meet future demand. Urban mines are becoming as important as natural mines. Every tonne recycled reduces import dependence, conserves natural resources, lowers emissions and strengthens domestic manufacturing,” he said.
Mr Mehta noted that India is the world’s third-largest automobile market, is building battery manufacturing capacity exceeding 100 GWh, has electronics production worth USD 125 billion with a target of USD 500 billion by 2031 and ranks third globally in renewable energy and solar power capacity. He said the Government’s decision to earmark ₹1,500 crore under the ₹34,300-crore National Critical Mineral Mission for recovery of minerals from secondary resources would significantly strengthen domestic supply chains.
Welcoming delegates, Amar Singh, Secretary General, MRAI, said the conference aimed to bring together policymakers, recyclers, OEMs, technology developers, investors and researchers to accelerate the growth of India’s critical minerals recycling ecosystem. The event featured discussions on policy, technology, investment and industrial transformation, underlining the growing role of circularity in India’s critical minerals security strategy.
