Turning battery waste into strategic mineral wealth

‘India should not wait for millions of retired EV batteries to accumulate before deciding what to do with them’. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto In his concluding remarks at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 13, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned against the “weaponisation of technology and critical minerals”. His remarks assume significance amid rising global demand for critical minerals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt. As transport and other energy-intensive sectors increasingly shift towards electrification, the demand for electricity, lithium-ion batteries and electrical conductors is also growing.Their ores are either scarce or their supply chains geographically concentrated, leaving these critical minerals vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, resource nationalism, trade restrictions and other disruptions. China currently dominates critical mineral processing. For India, which is heavily dependent on imports, securing reliable supplies has therefore become a strategic priority. Published - November 12, 2026 12:08 am IST