India Plans Wider Policy Support: Battery Recycling and ACC
At Trace Circle, we believe India’s battery future will depend not only on how many batteries we manufacture, but also on how intelligently we track, manage and recover them throughout their lifecycle.
India is planning to expand policy support for battery recycling and Advanced Chemistry Cells (ACC) as the government seeks to strengthen domestic battery manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported cells and critical materials.
India’s battery demand is projected to rise from around 28 GWh in 2025 to 272 GWh by 2030, driven by the growth of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
However, domestic cell manufacturing remains limited, with much of the country’s battery ecosystem still dependent on imported cells.
The government’s ₹18,100-crore ACC PLI scheme aims to establish 50 GWh of domestic battery manufacturing capacity, along with an additional 5 GWh for niche battery technologies.
Recycling Becomes a Strategic Priority
As EV adoption grows, India is expected to see increasing volumes of end-of-life batteries later this decade. This creates an opportunity to build a strong recycling ecosystem capable of recovering critical materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries has also collaborated with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the European Union on pilot projects focused on battery recycling.
A stronger recycling ecosystem could reduce dependence on imported raw materials while improving supply-chain resilience. At the same time, greater investment in critical mineral processing, cell manufacturing and advanced battery technologies will be essential to build domestic capabilities.
Where Traceability Comes In
Trace Circle enables businesses to build greater visibility across the battery lifecycle through battery traceability, digital battery identity and passports, lifecycle records and compliance-focused data.
Trace Circle aims to contribute to this shift by helping businesses move towards greater transparency, compliance and circularity.
For India, the next phase of the battery transition is about building a resilient, and circular battery ecosystem that can manufacture advanced cells and recover valuable resources at the end of a battery’s life.
