India's Recycling Revolution: Turning Waste into Wealth

India is missing significant recycling business opportunities due to inefficiencies in its informal sector, according to NITI Aayog. With e-waste, waste tyres, lithium-ion batteries, and end-of-life vehicles all presenting vast potential, the nation loses crores in revenue and economic value due to poor processing capabilities.

India is forfeiting significant business opportunities in recycling, missing out on thousands of crores due to processing inefficiencies within the informal sector, the government think tank NITI Aayog reported.

A series of reports by the Aayog delves into the recycling potential across various categories including e-waste, waste tyres, lithium-ion batteries, and end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), highlighting economic losses attributed to poor processing and weak regulations.

India generates substantial volumes of waste, such as 6.2 million metric tonnes of e-waste annually, expected to increase to 14 MMT by 2030, yet the country captures only 18% of its recycling potential due to inadequate formal systems. The reports propose policy and regulatory improvements to bridge this gap and capitalize on the burgeoning circular economy.