India has prohibited exports of lithium-ion battery black mass to secure domestic feedstock for battery recycling and to recover critical minerals used in electric vehicles.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Department of Commerce, amended the export policy for lithium-ion battery black mass from ‘Free’ to ‘Prohibited’.
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The restriction applies with immediate effect and until further orders, while transitional arrangements under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 will apply.
According to the statement, the classification covers unsorted waste and scrap from primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators, as well as spent cells, batteries and accumulators that do not contain lead, cadmium or mercury.
The notification identifies lithium-ion battery black mass, as a powder produced by shredding end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing waste.
Black mass contains recoverable lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese, which are used in electric mobility, advanced chemistry cell batteries, energy storage, electronics and renewable energy applications.
The government said the restriction would retain domestically generated black mass for processing in India, where expanded recycling and critical mineral refining capacity is not being fully utilised because of limited feedstock availability.
The measure is intended to improve feedstock availability and capacity utilisation, while increasing critical mineral recovery for the electric vehicle and battery industries.
It is also expected to reduce import dependence and associated foreign exchange outgooutflow.
According to GlobalData, the parent firm of Just Auto, lithium supply is concentrated, with mineral production led by Australia, Chile and China, while China dominates processing and refining across the value chain.
India imports over more than 80% of critical minerals but is reducing dependence through overseas assets, trade deals, domestic refining, recycling, exploration and alternative-technology R&D, the research firm added.
The export ban complements the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), including the Rs15bn ($160m) Incentive Scheme approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2025.
The scheme supports the development of recycling capacity for separating and producing critical minerals from secondary sources, including battery waste and e-waste.
