Centre Eyes 3 Lakh Ton Recycling Boost in India Via ₹1,500 Cr Critical Minerals Scheme

As efforts to develop resilience from Chinese dominance in the critical materials sector continue, the Indian government envisions developing 300,000 tons of annual recycling capacity for critical mineral extraction under a ₹1,500 crore investment scheme. The Ministry of Mines’ latest initiative aims to extract critical minerals from secondary sources such as e-waste, spent lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), and other scrap materials. The matter has assumed urgency after China started adding export controls to most of the critical mineral exports it dominates the markets in. 

The Incentive Scheme forms a key component of the National Critical Mineral Mission, designed to build national recycling capacity for recovering critical minerals from secondary sources. The Union Cabinet on September 3, 2025, approved the scheme, and it was subsequently launched along with detailed guidelines on October 2, 2025. It's now open for applications for six months, from October 2, 2025, to April 1, 2026.

Goal of the Investment Scheme

The Ministry of Mines said the government’s ₹1,500 crore Incentive Scheme for Critical Mineral Recycling was reviewed today by Piyush Goyal, Secretary, Ministry of Mines.

The review meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry and representatives of the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research, Development & Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Mines appointed as the Project Management Agency (PMA) for the scheme.

The Secretary (Mines) reviewed various aspects of the application process. JNARDDC informed that a significant number of entities have registered on the portal designated for receiving applications.

As the PMA, JNARDDC conducted a Workshop and Interactive Stakeholder Consultation on November 21, 2025, with around 30 prospective beneficiaries—15 attending physically at JNARDDC, Nagpur, and 15 joining online. Participants included start-ups, established recyclers, technology providers, and industrial stakeholders interested in strengthening India’s critical mineral recycling ecosystem.

Goal of The Meeting

At the meeting, participants were briefed on several aspects, including portal registration, application filing, eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, and incentive disbursement procedures. Procedural and operational queries were also addressed during the session. 

To facilitate smooth participation, the PMA provided hands-on guidance to stakeholders requiring support in navigating the portal and completing application submissions, including a demonstration of the full online workflow to ensure accurate and timely submissions.

During the review, the Secretary (Mines) directed JNARDDC to continue holding such consultations throughout the implementation phase to support stakeholders and ensure the scheme’s successful rollout. JNARDDC reaffirmed its commitment to providing continuous support through helpdesk services and clarificatory assistance.