E-waste recycling firm Attero will invest Rs 100 crore over the next 12 to 24 months to expand its rare earth element (REE) recycling capacity from 300 tonne to 30,000 tonne annually, according to CEO and Co-Founder Nitin Gupta. The move comes amid rising demand for rare earth magnets, which are crucial in sectors like electronics, automobiles, electric vehicles, and wind energy. India, like much of the world, is currently reliant on China for these critical materials, especially after Beijing imposed export restrictions in April.

“Attero has consistently advocated for India’s self-reliance in critical minerals... We are proud to be the only Indian company with proven deep-tech and globally patented processes,” Gupta said. The company will focus on extracting Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr), and Dysprosium (Dy) with over 98 percent efficiency and 99.9 percent purity using its patented, energy-efficient technology.

This expansion supports the Indian government's National Critical Mineral Mission, which promotes domestic recycling to reduce import dependency. Attero processed 1.5 lakh tonnes of e-waste and 15,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries in FY25, aiming to double that next year. The company also plans to expand operations to Europe and the US.