Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 14: The government has banned the export of battery waste, scrap and lithium-ion battery black mass with immediate effect, in a move aimed at strengthening domestic recycling capacity and reducing India's dependence on imports of critical minerals.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) announced the export restriction on Wednesday. Black mass is a powder-like material obtained by shredding discarded lithium-ion batteries. It contains valuable minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite, which are essential for electric vehicle batteries, energy storage systems, electronic devices and renewable energy technologies.
India's imports of electrical and electronic waste stood at USD 553.19 million in 2025-26, an increase of nearly 29 per cent from USD 430.32 million in the previous financial year. Imports of lithium also rose from USD 35.71 million to USD 46.91 million during the same period.
Meanwhile, India's e-waste exports, valued at USD 9.57 million in 2025-26, nearly doubled from USD 4.84 million in 2024-25.
A DGFT official said the export ban would improve access to essential raw materials for domestic recyclers and encourage investment in recycling infrastructure.
The decision comes days after the Union Cabinet announced a Capital Expenditure Support Scheme with an outlay of Rs 2,814 crore to strengthen domestic critical mineral processing. It also complements the government's Rs 1,500-crore incentive scheme for critical mineral recycling, approved by the Cabinet in September 2025.
Nitin Gupta, CEO and co-founder of e-waste management company Attero, said exporting black mass for refining and subsequently importing the processed materials resulted in the loss of domestic value addition and exposed the country to geopolitical risks and supply disruptions.
He said the new measure would help domestic recyclers improve capacity utilisation and expand their operations.
Uditanshu Agarwal, director at mobile battery manufacturer Staunch Electronics, said the government's decision would help India build a more resilient domestic supply chain.