The Silent Storm of E-Waste
“India now contributes 6% of the world’s e-waste—and yet, only 27% enters the formal recycling stream.”
When we talk about sustainability in India, we often focus on solar parks, EV adoption, or green hydrogen. But behind these visible wins lies a silent storm—electronic waste. From EV batteries and smartphones to home appliances and automotive electronics, e-waste is becoming one of India’s most urgent climate and economic challenges.
Recently, I joined an important webinar organized by The Times of India with Santosh Iyer (MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India), Ankit Todi (Chief Sustainability Officer, Mahindra Group), and moderated by Pankaj Doval (National Editor, TOI). Together, we explored how industries can responsibly manage e-waste, adopt circular economy models, and align with India’s climate goals.
Mercedes-Benz: Rethink, Reduce, Repair, Recycle
Santosh Iyer outlined Mercedes-Benz’s 4R philosophy:
– Rethink – Design vehicles with sustainability at the drawing board.
– Reduce – Run the Pune plant on 100% renewable energy, with a 35% water reduction target.
– Repair/Remanufacture – Ship used parts to Germany for remanufacturing, returning them with warranties identical to new ones.
– Recycle – Achieve 96% battery recyclability, enabling recycled EV batteries for 50,000 new cars annually.
What stood out to me was their push to involve communities and schools in e-waste awareness. Because real change cannot be OEM-driven alone—consumer behavior must evolve too.
Mahindra: Planet Positive and Second-Life Batteries
Ankit Todi explained Mahindra’s Planet Positive strategy, which weaves sustainability into auto, farm, IT, and finance operations.
Key initiatives include:
– Using less – Redesigning tractor parts to cut weight by 30–40%.
– Using better – Shifting to low-emission materials.
– Using recycled content – Maximizing reuse in production.
– Designing for recyclability – Ensuring components are easier to recover at end of life.
Perhaps the most compelling example: second-life EV batteries. Instead of sending them directly for recycling, Mahindra is deploying them in energy storage systems—extending their usefulness before final recovery.
Their CERO venture for end-of-life vehicle recycling also shows how India is beginning to mainstream circularity.
My Observations: The Awareness & MSME Gap
While large corporates like Mercedes-Benz and Mahindra are advancing, my day-to-day work shows persistent gaps:
– Awareness is shallow – Many corporates still run CSR, ESG, and sustainability in silos. MSMEs—the backbone of India’s economy—often have no roadmap at all.
– Policy doesn’t fit MSMEs – Policies are crafted “with MSMEs in mind” but tested on large companies. Without a dedicated MSME CSR framework, integration is weak.
– Carbon alignment is missing – EPR mandates could be linked with carbon credits and climate finance, but this synergy is rarely leveraged.
“Unless MSMEs are included, India’s e-waste transition will remain patchy and inequitable.”
Regulation: The Right Rules, Weak Enforcement
India’s updated E-Waste Management Rules (2022) mandate EPR certificates. In principle, this should ensure waste flows into the formal sector. In practice, three hurdles persist:
1. Litigation – Multinationals have challenged EPR costs in court.
2. Informal dominance – Scrap hubs still burn, melt, and dismantle waste unsafely.
3. Collection gaps – Even households lack awareness of formal disposal channels.
Until enforcement becomes strict and nationwide, we risk losing both environmental integrity and economic opportunity.
EVs: Waste Problem or Circular Opportunity?
A common critique is that India’s EV transition will worsen e-waste. But as Santosh argued, EVs may be more recoverable than ICE vehicles.
– Battery recycling already reaches 96% recoverability, with the potential to approach 100% within a decade.
– Unlike ICE engines, which have limited recyclability, EV batteries can become the “mines of tomorrow”—a domestic source of lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
This is not a threat—it’s a leapfrog opportunity. If India embeds recycling and second-life systems into its EV growth story, we could position ourselves as a global leader in circular battery economies.
Building Circular Ecosystems
Both speakers stressed the need for ecosystem-level collaboration:
– Mahindra – Working with tyre OEMs, auto players, and recyclers to address hazardous tyre waste.
– Mercedes-Benz – Linking dealer margins to EPR compliance, ensuring retailers cannot bypass formal channels.
This reminded me of a critical truth: no single player can solve e-waste alone. From suppliers to dealers, consumers to recyclers, circularity must be a collective effort.
My Closing Reflections
The session reaffirmed my belief that India’s e-waste crisis is not just about waste management—it is about climate, economy, and justice.
We need:
– Awareness campaigns at scale – Educating citizens and MSMEs.
– Integrated policies – Linking EPR, carbon credits, and MSME inclusion.
– Strict enforcement – Turning rules into real outcomes.
– Circular design – Ensuring what we make in India can also be reused and recycled in India.
“Every ton of e-waste responsibly managed is not just compliance—it’s avoided emissions, recovered resources, and future carbon finance.”
As India moves toward electrification and digitalisation, the choices we make now will decide whether e-waste becomes a toxic liability or a circular opportunity.
India’s E-waste crisis is growing fast – from EV batteries to electronics. Join Mercedes-Benz India MD & CEO Santosh Iyer, Mahindra’s Chief Sustainability Officer Ankit Todi, and Carbon Registry of India CEO Richard Bright in a webinar where they explore how industries can… pic.twitter.com/YHXqfDPWrc
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) July 15, 2025