India’s policy makers urged: ‘Turn good intentions into good execution’

India is well on the way to becoming a global recycling hub but major issues must be addressed, leading Indian recyclers claim.

‘One day we’ll be a net exporter of scrap materials,’ non-ferrous scrap trader Dhawal Shah of Metco told the International Material Recycling Conference (IMRC 2025) in Jaipur.

‘Multi-millions of new cars, phones, batteries and aircons now being manufactured and sold domestically will ultimately be collected and recycled here in India,’ he said.

Shah added that his country and the sector would only fully benefit when there was proper and widespread recycling capacity. ‘We need to solve some major issues and politicians will have to turn good intentions into good execution.’
Shah also called on foreign investors to help ramp up India’s recycling infrastructure.

Threatening trade barriers

In Jaipur, Sanjay Mehta, president of recycling industry body MRAI, again warned that increasing trade barriers and import duties would affect the free flow of scrap needed to support India’s economic growth.