New Delhi: Japan and India have held their first government-level joint event focused on recycling critical minerals, highlighting growing cooperation between the two countries to strengthen mineral security and reduce dependence on concentrated global supply chains.
The conference was held on August 21 at the Embassy of Japan in New Delhi and brought together government officials, private-sector companies, think tanks and other stakeholders from both countries. Around 130 participants attended the event, which featured panel discussions, company presentations and business-matching sessions.
The event was organised by the Embassy of Japan in India in cooperation with Japan’s Ministry of the Environment. Discussions covered policies and strategies for critical-mineral recycling, international cooperation, financing of recycling projects and opportunities for collaboration between businesses.
Focus on Reducing Dependence on Imports
Critical minerals, including rare earth elements, are essential for industries such as electronics, electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing. China currently plays a dominant role in many critical-mineral supply chains, making diversification a strategic priority for both Japan and India.
Japan and India are looking at recycling as an important way to recover valuable materials from products that have already reached the end of their useful lives. Greater recycling could help create an additional domestic source of minerals while reducing pressure on primary mining and imports.
India’s E-Waste Opportunity
India’s rapidly growing electronic-waste stream presents a significant opportunity for recovering critical minerals. India is among the world’s largest generators of electronic waste, creating substantial quantities of discarded electronics that could potentially become a secondary source of valuable materials.
Japan, which has considerable experience in recycling technologies and resource efficiency, sees cooperation with India as an opportunity to expand practical collaboration in this area. The business-matching component of the conference was designed to connect companies and encourage potential partnerships.
Building Resilient Mineral Supply Chains
The initiative forms part of broader India-Japan economic-security cooperation. Both countries are increasingly focused on developing resilient and diversified critical-mineral supply chains, including through recycling, technology cooperation and private-sector investment.
The two governments’ focus on recycling reflects a broader shift in critical-mineral policy—from simply securing new mining resources to developing a circular economy in which valuable minerals can be recovered and reused.
For India, stronger recycling capabilities could support its clean-energy and advanced-manufacturing ambitions while improving resource security. For Japan, deeper cooperation with India could help diversify access to recycled mineral resources and strengthen supply-chain resilience