Boost to recycling capacity

It is not merely a mining programme, but a strategic blueprint to secure energy security, drive industrial growth, and cement technological independence

- INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE

The Union Cabinet has approved a 21,500 crore incentive scheme under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) to boost India’s recycling capacity for critical minerals from secondary sources such as e-waste, lithium-ion battery scrap, and end-of_life vehicle parts.

By fostering both new and existing recyclers, the initiative aims to build 270 kilo tonnes annual recycling capacity, produce 40 kilo tonnes of critical minerals, attract around %8,000 crore in investments, and generate nearly 70,000 jobs —a strategic step to strengthen supply chain resilience and reduce import dependency, according to the government.

Critical minerals are fast becoming the oil of the 21st century, scarce, strategic, and fiercely contested. They are the building blocks of a modern economy.