NITI Aayog says recycling is necessary for India’s critical minerals security

The 15th India Minerals & Metals Forum was organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in New Delhi. During the deliberations, NITI Aayog senior person has held that recycling of waste streams such as e-waste, used batteries and mine tailings could provide India with the fastest pathway to securing critical minerals, even as domestic mining capacity continues to develop.

Anupam Lahiri, Programme Director at NITI Aayog, mentioned that extracting critical minerals from existing waste sources can significantly reduce India’s dependence on imports in the near term.

“India’s critical minerals strategy cannot rely solely on mining. Domestic exploration will take time to yield results, so it is essential to tap into resources already available in the form of e-waste, battery waste, mine overburden and tailings,” Lahiri noted. He added that these waste streams hold considerable potential if supported by the right policy and technological ecosystem.

Dr Pankaj Satija, Chairperson of ICC’s National Expert Committee on Minerals & Metals, said the government is pursuing a three-pronged strategy—accelerating domestic exploration, promoting e-waste recycling, and extracting minerals from industrial waste like steel slag and fly ash. He noted that India has identified 31 critical minerals and that over 500 exploration blocks are currently under development, alongside efforts to strengthen global partnerships.

Lahiri also stated the need to make recycling commercially viable through industry incentives and scaling up emerging technologies beyond pilot stages. While international collaborations will remain vital, he stressed that recycling represents the most immediate and practical solution for strengthening India’s critical minerals supply chain.

He also revealed that NITI Aayog has set up a technical committee to evaluate the recovery potential of critical minerals from mine tailings and overburden dumps, with participation from companies such as Coal India, Singareni Collieries, Jindal Steel and Adani Group. As an example of progress, he cited Neyveli Lignite Corporation’s successful recovery of rare earth elements from fly ash.

Last December, NITI Aayog and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) collaborated to launch a nationwide start-up acceleration programme aimed at advancing India’s transition to a circular economy.