India has prohibited exports of lithium-ion battery black mass with immediate effect to secure raw material supplies for domestic recycling units, and strengthen recovery of critical minerals used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems, the commerce ministry said today. The restriction will remain in force until further orders.

Black mass is a powdery material recovered from shredded lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing waste. It contains recoverable quantities of lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese.The government said domestic recycling and mineral refining capacity for batteries had expanded, but remained underutilised because of inadequate availability of feedstock. Exports of black mass had diverted recoverable minerals overseas, forcing some Indian recyclers to import material to meet their requirements.

The prohibition is intended to improve capacity utilisation at domestic recycling and refining facilities, encourage investment and reduce dependence on imported critical minerals. The measure also complements the government's ₹15-billion incentive scheme for critical mineral recycling, approved in September 2025 under the National Critical Mineral Mission. The scheme supports the recovery of critical minerals from secondary sources, including battery waste and electronic waste.

The government expects retaining black mass domestically to strengthen supply chains for battery manufacturing, electric vehicles, renewable energy and energy storage. The restriction could improve feedstock availability for Indian recyclers, although the extent of additional mineral recovery will depend on domestic processing capacity and technology. 

India recorded zero exports worldwide under this code in 2025-26, said trade thinktank GTRI. The government acted to prevent future shipments and keep the material available to domestic refiners, it said.

India has more capacity to process black mass than it generates, leaving refiners short of raw material. Recovering more of these materials at home could reduce battery makers’ reliance on imports, said Ajay Srivastava, the founder  of GTRI.

Black mass can also contain toxic electrolyte residues and heavy metals that require further treatment. Hazardous-waste rules require prior permission for such shipments, but exporters can evade scrutiny by declaring the material as cobalt powder, a nickel intermediate or another industrial product.