All Things Policy India Should Double Down On Rare Earth Recycling
Feb 18, 2026
Tannmay Baid, a researcher on high-tech geopolitics and urban mining, outlines why India should scale rare earth recycling. He explains the concept of urban mining and contrasts recycling with primary mining for supply resilience. Technical methods like hydrometallurgy and flash Joule heating are described. Policy hurdles, feedstock challenges, and a 2030 supply projection are also discussed.
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Urban Mining Creates Faster, China-Free Supply
- Urban mining extracts valuable materials from end-of-life goods within cities rather than from primary mines.
- It can create a China-free circular supply chain and is faster to operationalize than new mines.
Recycling Reduces Processing Dependency
- Mining plus refining still leaves countries dependent if processing stays offshore.
- Recycling offers a pathway to reduce reliance because it can keep feedstock, refining, and output local.
Choose And Pilot Appropriate Recycling Tech
- Evaluate hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy and emerging flash Joule heating for scaling urban mining.
- Prioritize hydrometallurgy for known methods and pilot thermoelectric techniques for lower capex and higher recovery.