India Launches Strategy to Build a Circular Battery Economy

Battery circularity in India represents a ₹75,500 crore (US$9 billion) market opportunity. By reusing batteries in vehicles, repurposing them for second-life stationary applications, and ultimately recycling them for material recovery, India can capture value at every stage of a battery’s life cycle. With battery demand expected to increase more than 40-fold by 2050, and early end-of-life volumes already appearing from commercial EV fleets, India has a limited window to establish a circular battery economy before fragmented, inefficient systems take hold.

This report delivers a unified strategy to scale battery reuse, repurposing, and recycling in India. Based on techno-economic modeling, policy analysis, and stakeholder input, the report details actionable pathways to embed circularity into India’s battery value chain—advancing national goals for energy security, self-reliance, and net-zero emissions.

Key findings and recommendations include:

Reuse strategies: Cumulative battery reuse potential is estimated at 220 GWh between 2025 and 2050, driven largely by high-utilization electric fleet segments.
Repurposing applications: Annual repurposing potential could reach approximately 600 GWh by 2050, unlocking an estimated ₹58,738 crore (~US$7 billion) market opportunity.
Recycling opportunities: Battery recycling is projected to avoid 2.9 million tons of CO₂ equivalent and lead to the creation of more than 106,000 direct green jobs.
Critical mineral security: By 2050, domestic recycling infrastructure could supply over 40 percent of India’s lithium, nickel, and cobalt requirements—reducing exposure to volatile import markets.

Scaling battery circularity in India will hinge on progress across five key enablers:

Policy reform to strengthen collection systems and expand second-life markets.
Digital traceability and certification to bridge information asymmetry and bring market accountability.
Financing interventions to meet the diverse capital needs of differing technologies and stages of maturity; tools may include concessional capital, credit guarantees, and blended instruments.
Technology development to support the advancement of indigenous diagnostics, repurposing, and recycling advancements.
Workforce development via the initiation of skills training and

Ultimately, battery circularity is a strategic lever for India’s agile battery sector to differentiate itself and position the country as a leader in the global battery supply chain. Advancing reuse, repurposing, and recycling solutions will enable India to capture value across the battery life cycle, maximize resource efficiency, and strengthen domestic mineral security.

Akshima Ghate, Managing Director, RMI India Program: “Circularity is more than waste management; it is a strategic lever for resource security and industrial leadership. By embracing it, India’s agile battery economy can unlock greater domestic value, build resilient supply chains, and create thousands of green jobs that power both progress and livelihoods.”

Dr. Ram Madhav, President, India Foundation: “India’s clean energy transition presents a historic opportunity for us to lead by example. By embracing circular thinking of reusing, repurposing, and recycling batteries, we can turn current challenges into future strengths. What was once considered waste can become wealth, fueling innovation, creating jobs, and fostering self-reliance. This partnership between India Foundation and RMI demonstrates our shared belief that sustainability and growth can coexist and that India can set a global standard for a truly circular battery future.”