EU and India Pact Boosts Start-Up Alliance in EV Battery Recycling

In a move to foster collaboration in the clean technology sector, the European Union (EU) and India have teamed up to facilitate partnerships among start-ups specializing in Battery Recycling Technologies for Electric Vehicles (EVs). Announced through a press release under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), this initiative is geared towards strengthening cooperation between Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups from both regions. The matchmaking event is poised to cultivate synergies and propel advancements in sustainable mobility solutions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen revealed in April 2022 the inception of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), aimed at nurturing innovation and bolstering economic ties. As part of this initiative, a matchmaking event has been announced to facilitate collaboration between Indian and EU start-ups specializing in EV Battery Recycling Technologies. This platform offers these innovators an opportunity to showcase their groundbreaking solutions and interact with potential investors and adopters. Scheduled for June 2024, the event will feature twelve selected start-ups, with an equal representation of six from each region, pitching their ideas for sustainable advancements in the field.

Following the presentations, six finalists, three from the EU and three from India, will be awarded the opportunity to visit India and the EU respectively. The event aims to identify, support, and promote start-ups dedicated to advancing battery recycling technologies for EVs. It also seeks to facilitate cooperation, potential trade avenues, customer relations, and investment avenues for the shortlisted start-ups. The matchmaking event, organized under the India-EU TTC Working Group 2, offers Indian start-ups and SMEs a platform to demonstrate their expertise in battery recycling technologies.

It provides an opportunity for Indian innovators to establish strategic alliances with their EU counterparts, accelerating the development of advanced battery recycling techniques focused on waste minimization and resource sustainability. Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, highlighted the objective of harmonizing efforts with EU innovators to jointly develop battery recycling solutions that drive industry expansion.

Sood said, “Our objective is to harmonize efforts with EU innovators to jointly develop battery recycling solutions that drive industry expansion. We are dedicated to fostering a collaborative environment where sustainability and innovation form the cornerstone of a flourishing circular economy”.

Highlighting the significance of cooperation within the EV Battery Recycling sector, Marc Lemaitre, Director-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission, underscored the imperative role it plays in unlocking novel avenues toward a sustainable and circular economy.

Lemaitre said, “The match-making event is a step ahead to unlock innovative possibilities leading to a green and circular economy. We encourage innovators from the EU to seize this opportunity and explore potential collaborations with their Indian counterparts”. Interested start-ups from India and the EU are invited to submit their Expressions of Interest by April 30.