India on Tuesday imposed an immediate export ban on lithium‑ion battery black
mass — a recycling material containing lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese —
reclassifying it from free export to prohibited. Notifications from the Ministry
of Commerce and Industry and the Department of Commerce say the ban covers
lithium‑ion battery black mass and unclassified battery waste not containing
lead, cadmium or mercury, and aims to encourage domestic processing of critical
battery materials to support India’s EV supply‑chain strategy. India, one of the
fastest‑growing EV markets, targets EVs to account for 30% of new car sales and
80% of new two‑ and three‑wheeler sales by 2030.
