Most first-generation EVs still operate today. The recycling wave arrives after 2028. 🔋 India currently recycles only about 1% of its lithium-ion batteries. Many end-of-life batteries are still handled through informal channels or remain outside the formal recycling ecosystem. If not managed properly, toxic metals can Contaminate soil and groundwater. That gives India valuable preparation time. Used batteries contain critical minerals. Lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese