In a major stride towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Green and Self-Reliant India, NavPrakriti has commenced operations of Eastern India’s first advanced lithium-ion battery recycling facility near Kolkata. The facility aims to strengthen India’s battery recycling ecosystem amid a rapidly increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage solutions.
According to industry estimates, India may need to recycle over 1.2 million EV batteries annually by 2030, a figure projected to surpass 14 million by 2040. With lithium-ion battery demand expected to soar to 54 GWh by FY27, the country faces an impending wave of end-of-life batteries from EVs, telecom towers, and consumer electronics — posing environmental and resource challenges if not managed responsibly.
While most recycling units are concentrated in the Delhi-NCR region, vast areas such as West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh have lacked proper recycling infrastructure. NavPrakriti’s new plant is set to become a hub for responsible battery disposal and critical mineral recovery in these underserved regions.
Akhilesh Bagaria, Founder of NavPrakriti, said, “Prime Minister Modi’s focus on the circular economy and sustainable technology has inspired a new wave of innovation in India. Our facility is a testament to indigenous innovation and the power of local entrepreneurship. With the right support, we can turn today’s waste into tomorrow’s resource, powering India’s green future.”
The facility operates on indigenous technology developed by the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), aligning with the government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives. It currently handles 1,000 tonnes of mechanical pre-treatment capacity per month, scalable up to 2,000 tonnes as demand rises.
NavPrakriti processes batteries from consumer electronics, telecom operations, and industrial sectors while partnering with OEMs and battery manufacturers under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework. The plant focuses on recovering aluminium, copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium, with plans to expand into battery-grade chemical recovery and second-life battery applications.
The launch coincides with the government’s recent ₹1,500 crore National Critical Mineral Mission scheme, aimed at boosting domestic recycling and refining capacity, reducing import dependence, and promoting environmentally safe processing.
With the global battery recycling market expected to exceed USD 30 billion by 2030, initiatives like NavPrakriti’s plant mark a critical step in India’s journey toward a sustainable, circular, and self-reliant clean energy economy.
