The nation is initiating extensive initiatives for handling electronic discards—a move projected to lessen reliance on importing lithium, cobalt, and other scarce elements vital for AI and electronic devices.
Artificial Intelligence
5
12:01
setlgroup.ru
Advertisement
India is vigorously fostering its electronic waste (e-waste) recycling sector to secure access to crucial resources, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth metals. These components are indispensable for manufacturing batteries, mobile phones, electric vehicles, and AI infrastructure.
While the country accumulates up to 3 million tons of e-waste annually, the bulk is currently processed via the informal economy, yielding only copper and aluminum. New governmental mandates and regulations (EPR) are intended to spur a shift toward advanced facilities capable of safely and efficiently recovering numerous valuable constituents.
Major corporations, such as Exigo Recycling and Attero, have successfully mastered the extraction of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and even platinum and palladium from obsolete batteries, circuit boards, and hard drives. This development mitigates import reliance and bolsters national economic resilience amid global shortages of critical materials.
Despite these advances, a staggering 80% of the waste still flows through hazardous, rudimentary workshops, exposing laborers to toxic fumes and causing environmental pollution. Authorities and NGOs are collaborating on training collectors and integrating safer methodologies to bring them into official supply chains.
Analysts predict that this “urban mining” operation could yield annual revenues for India reaching $6 billion, yet a complete transition to sophisticated recycling processes will necessitate significant time and capital investment.
About the Author
