Li-ion Recycler NavPrakriti Plans Tie-Ups With 150 Battery Firms, OEMs

NavPrakriti, a Kolkata-based lithium-ion battery recycling and refurbishment company, said onThursday it plans to partner with more than 150 battery manufacturers and original equipment makers over the next three years to build a nationwide network for battery collection and recycling.

The company said the partnerships would support India’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework by enabling the organised collection, recycling and refurbishment of end-of-life batteries across electric vehicles, consumer electronics, telecom and industrial applications.

Starting From Eastern India 

NavPrakriti recently began operations at what it said is eastern India’s first advanced lithium-ion battery recycling facility. The plant currently has the capacity to process up to 1,000 tonnes of used batteries per month, with scope to double capacity as demand rises.

India’s lithium battery demand is expected to increase sharply, driven by electric vehicle adoption and the deployment of battery energy storage systems to support renewable power. Industry estimates project demand to rise from about 4 gigawatt-hours in 2023 to nearly 139 GWh by 2035.

The growth has also intensified concerns over battery waste. Lithium-ion batteries accounted for roughly 700,000 tonnes of the 1.6 million tonnes of e-waste generated in India in 2022, according to industry estimates. Only about 40% of the country’s total e-waste was recycled that year, highlighting gaps in recycling infrastructure.

In response, the government introduced the Battery Waste Management Rules in 2022, making EPR mandatory and requiring producers to ensure battery collection and recycling through authorised recyclers. The Central Pollution Control Board operates a digital EPR portal to track compliance and issue EPR credits.

New Recycling Benchmark

“Our aim is to help set benchmarks for responsible battery recycling aligned with India’s circular economy goals,” said Akhilesh Bagaria, founder of NavPrakriti. “Partnerships with manufacturers and OEMs are critical to scaling compliant recycling and material recovery.”

NavPrakriti said its operations are aligned with the National Critical Mineral Mission, which identifies recycling as a key pathway to reducing dependence on imported battery materials. The company recovers aluminium and copper from used batteries and produces intermediate materials containing nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium.

Founded in 2024, NavPrakriti said it plans to expand into hydrometallurgical refining, battery-grade material recovery and second-life battery applications as regulations tighten from 2026.