Recyclekaro inaugurates Rare Earths & Advanced Materials Research Centre in Maharashtra

Recyclekaro, a leading player in e-waste and lithium-ion battery recycling, has inaugurated its Rare Earths and Advanced Materials Research Centre at Wada in Palghar district, Maharashtra, near Mumbai. The new facility marks a strategic step in strengthening the company’s urban mining and advanced materials capabilities, with a focus on optimising the extraction of critical and rare earth metals from end-of-life electronics, lithium-ion batteries, and complex e-waste streams.

The centre is expected to enable rapid and sustainable scaling of rare earth and advanced materials extraction, positioning Recyclekaro as a key contributor to India’s evolving circular economy and strategic materials ecosystem.

Research-Led Facility to Strengthen Urban Mining Capabilities

Spread across five acres, Recyclekaro’s Wada R&D facility has been conceived as a long-term, research-led platform designed to evolve over the next five years. The centre will drive deeper material science insights and process optimisation, enabling the organised recycling ecosystem to play a more meaningful role in India’s strategic materials roadmap.

The research agenda will focus on priority areas including:

• Rare earth recovery
• Advanced separation and purification technologies
• Battery materials optimisation
• Scalable process development for higher yield and purity

Insights generated at the centre will be integrated into Recyclekaro’s rare earth recovery initiatives as the company moves towards scaling a 20,000 metric tonnes (MT) processing capacity dedicated exclusively to rare earths.

Strong Processing Base to Support Scale-Up

Recyclekaro currently operates with a processing capacity of 24,500 MT of e-waste and 10,000 MT of lithium-ion battery waste, establishing a robust operational foundation for responsible resource recovery at scale. The Wada research centre is intended to accelerate the company’s next phase of growth by building indigenous scientific and process capabilities to strengthen India’s mineral security.

₹500 Crore Investment Planned for Research and Talent Development

To build sustained capability, Recyclekaro plans to invest approximately ₹500 crore by 2030, in a phased manner, towards developing world-class research infrastructure and undertaking a structured talent build-out over the next 12 to 24 months.

The company will onboard:

• Research scientists
• PhDs and doctoral researchers
• Specialists in materials science, metallurgy, and chemical engineering

The centre’s roadmap will be anchored by a phased pipeline of research programmes aimed at continuously improving recovery pathways, process efficiencies, and material yields.

Leadership Emphasises Urban Mining for India’s Mineral Security

Commenting on the development, Rajesh Gupta, Founder and Managing Director, Evergreen Recyclekaro, said:

“India’s mineral security must be strengthened not only through imports or mining, but also through what we can recover. This centre will advance the science of urban mining by improving material understanding, recovery pathways, and process efficiencies, so end-of-life products can become a more reliable resource for a circular and self-reliant India.”

Industry–Academia and Global Collaborations

As part of its research strategy, Recyclekaro is strengthening industry–academia collaborations with leading Indian institutions including IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Hyderabad, along with other academic institutions across the country.

Scientists from these institutions will work closely with Recyclekaro’s technical and operations teams on applied research programmes. In parallel, the company has partnered with overseas organisations to accelerate its learning curve and align its research initiatives with globally benchmarked practices.

Building on Over a Decade of Responsible Resource Recovery

The new centre builds on Recyclekaro’s established track record in responsible resource recovery. With over 13 years of experience, the company has worked with several leading consumer electronics brands in India to scientifically manage their e-waste.

Recyclekaro currently operates around 1,200 touchpoints across India, supporting the country’s transition towards sustainable and circular resource systems.