Govt prohibits lithium-ion battery black mass exports

Explained

What happened

Three outlets report that India has banned exports of lithium-ion battery black mass with immediate effect. According to Firstpost, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade amended the export policy for waste and scrap of primary cells, batteries and electric accumulators, moving the product from the "Free" category to "Prohibited". The Hindu describes the measure as a bar on exports of lithium-ion battery waste and scrap containing black mass.

Hindustan Times, citing an official, says the government acted to keep critical minerals within the country for domestic recycling.

Why it matters

The Hindu explains that black mass is a powdered mixture recovered when lithium-ion batteries are recycled. According to that report, the material is particularly important to India's electronics, electric vehicle and renewable energy storage sectors. Hindustan Times ties the restriction to the government's stated aim of retaining critical minerals for recycling inside India.

What we don't know yet

The reports do not say how long the restriction will last, what quantities or values of black mass were involved, or how exporters and recyclers will be affected. The Hindu and Firstpost also describe the product differently: one refers to black mass itself, while the other refers to waste and scrap containing black mass, so the exact scope of the ban is not fully clear from these accounts. The Hindustan Times report relies on a single official's comments, and none of the three reports includes a reaction from industry.

Written by the 91News.in desk with AI assistance, based on reports from Hindustan Times, The Hindu, Firstpost. Updated 13 Nov 2026, 7:05 am. Spotted an error? Tell us.