What if every e-waste stream in India could fuel the country’s rare-earth and advanced materials revolution? Rahul Gogi from Recyclekaro answers EFY’s Vidushi Saxena, unveiling its mission to build a homegrown R&D ecosystem for critical metals and sustainable technology.
Q. What is the main purpose of the new rare-earths and advanced material research centre in Maharashtra?
A. Urban mining of rare-earths is still new in India, and while we can recover common and precious metals from e-waste, the know-how for extracting rare-earths and advanced materials remains limited. At present, China dominates rare-earth mining and refining, making India highly dependent on imports, a risk highlighted by recent export restrictions.
As the proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) and consumer electronics increases and demand for materials like neodymium magnets grows, it is critical for India to develop its own research and extraction capabilities for rare-earths and other advanced materials.
Q. Why did RecycleKaro choose Maharashtra for this centre?
A. RecycleKaro was founded in Mumbai, and the entire founding team is from there. Our first integrated plants are located in Wada, Palghar, so it was a natural decision to build on the platform we had already established. Having the research and development (R&D) centre close to the plants is important, as a longdistance between research and operations can impact efficiency.
Q. What was the agenda or motivation behind starting this centre?
A. We have been working on rare-earths for the past two to three years, and it is clear to anyone tracking the industry that demand for rare-earth magnets and critical battery minerals is only going to increase as it is driven by geopolitics and rapid changes in consumer electronics.
Insights from 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 exclusively for feedstock containing rare-earth elements.
Q. What types of rare-earths and advanced materials will the centre focus on?
A. The centre will mainly focus on the extraction of rare-earths that have wide use cases in industry, such as Neodymium, Dysprosium, Terbium and Praseodymium, as well as improving efficiency for extractions of various battery-grade materials, especially cathode active materials., As India moves toward domestic cell manufacturing, it requires the local availability of critical minerals at scale and the right quality. The centre will not be restricted to specific metals and will research all in-demand materials present in the available e-waste feedstock.
Q. How will in-house research give you an advantage in the recycling ecosystem
A. Recycling success depends on efficiency, purity, energy use, carbon footprint, and waste material treatment. To scale sustainably, it is critical to have proprietary technologies that can handle different and evolving e-waste streams. In-house R&D enables continuous innovation and ensures that new or complex waste streams can be treated domestically without unsustainable capex and opex, rather than being exported due to a lack of technology.
Q. How does this initiative help you move from being a recycling operator to a technology-driven materials company in the future?
A. A recycler is typically limited by feedstock availability and output yields. With this R&D centre, we can continuously improve extraction efficiency, process optimisation, and scalability. This allows us to create more value from the same inputs, while passing on these benefits further down the chain
In a knowledge-intensive business, proprietary R&D and technical know-how are what drive long-term value and credibility. This scientific research-led approach enables us to become a reliable materials supplier for industries such as batteries and magnets, strengthen our brand, and transition from a pure recycling operator to a technology-driven materials company.
Q. How well will the centre help reduce India’s dependence on imported rare-earth materials?
A. India has rare-earth reserves, but processing and purification are largely controlled by China, forcing reliance on imports. The research centre aims to develop domestic extraction and processing capabilities through urban mining. Pilot projects have already successfully recovered neodymium from e-waste, and efforts are underway to scale this, which will gradually reduce India’s dependence on imported rare-earths.
Q. How well will the centre help reduce India’s dependence on imported materials?
A. The more we optimise our processes and build technical know-how to extract metals efficiently with minimal energy and carbon footprint, the higher our commercial yields will be. India has ample e-waste and end-of-life batteries, so increasing domestic recovery will directly reduce imports. As our research translates into commercial operations, critical materials production in India will increase, putting these metals back into the circular economy and reducing reliance on imports.
Q. How will the centre position RecycleKaro for global partnerships and leadership?
A. A recycler relying on borrowed technology risks being disrupted by changing products and waste streams. RecycleKaro already develops proprietary technology that can be shared and collaborated on with global institutions. This opens doors for partnerships, validates knowledge exchange, and positions the company as a credible, research-driven partner in the global materials ecosystem.
Q. Can you tell me how many people are working at the centre and what kind of expertise they bring?
A. Currently, our R&D setup has around 30 to 50 people. The advanced materials centre is a new scale-up, adding to our existing team. Over the next one to two years, we plan to strategically build this talent pool. Some key people have already been onboarded to lead the mission, and credible numbers on the full expertise will be shared as the team grows.
Q. Are you collaborating with universities or training institutions to develop manpower for the centre?
A. Yes, we have collaborations with multiple IITs (Indian Institute of Technology), including IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Hyderabad, and we actively pursue industry-academia initiatives. While these institutions provide strong academic foundations, their infrastructure can be limited for practical application. Our current talent pool includes graduates from leading institutions, and we remain open to collaborating with deserving institutions and candidates.
Q. Are you also training employees to handle advanced materials and research processes?
A. Advanced materials are evolving technologies, and the market has very few people with the necessary skills or know-how. Over the next 12 to 24 months, our focus will be on building and training a strong talent pool that will form the foundation of our long-term capabilities.
Q. Did you face any challenges while setting up the centre and starting operations?
A. The main challenge was that there were very limited industrial-scale, urban mining-focused rare-earth R&D in the private sector, so our understanding of how to shape the centre was limited. However, with nearly 15 years of operational experience in recycling and a well-established team with strong conviction, we decided to build this centre from scratch.
Q. How will you measure the success of the centre over the next five years?
A. We plan on creating multiple mini plants under the RE and Advanced materials centre that are capable of research to pilot to scale for various materials, which will allow for rapid research and implementation. Success will be measured by the number of original research papers, patents, and proprietary technologies developed at the centre. Importantly, this research will be applied directly in our processing plants, ensuring practical, verified results. Key metrics will include improvements in efficiency, purity, and scalability of rare-earth and critical mineral extraction, as well as the strength of the talent pool we build. Combining research with commercial implementation and the improvements in outputs will define the centre’s success.
Q. Will the centre help de-risk supply chains for EVs, electronics, and renewable energy sectors?
A. Recent export restrictions from China highlighted the vulnerability of India’s EV industry and other sectors reliant on rare-earths. While complete independence is not immediately feasible, building substantial domestic production can significantly de-risk the supply chain. The R&D centre will help create a scalable and predictable supply of critical metals, strengthening supply chain security for EVs, electronics, and renewable energy in the near future. But we have to start now.
Q. How do you plan to balance long-term research investments? Are you focusing more on machines or manpower?
A. It is not just about manpower or machines; both are essential. Our first priority is to nurture a strong talent pool for the R&D ecosystem. Gradually, we will scale up equipment, machinery, and processing capabilities. People, machines, and processes will develop hand in hand to ensure sustainable growth, rather than investing everything at once.
Q. Do you plan to expand or replicate similar centres in other regions of India in the future?
A. Expansion will depend on commercial viability and the needs of the projects we are building. The initiative will not be limited to a singlecity or region, and we are open to setting up similar centres elsewhere in India, provided it makes sense.
