Meerut to Get ₹200-Crore Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Refinery, 1,300 Jobs Expected – Indian PSU
Uttar Pradesh is set to strengthen its position in advanced materials recycling with a proposed ₹200-crore critical minerals and rare earth refinery in Meerut. Deep-tech startup Circulogy Cleantech Private Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Invest UP for the proposed project.
The facility is expected to generate approximately 300 direct and 1,000 indirect employment opportunities, taking the anticipated employment impact to around 1,300 jobs. The project is planned to be developed in phases, with a targeted annual processing capacity of 10,000 tonnes at full scale.
The refinery will focus on recovering valuable materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, electronic waste and used permanent magnets, helping convert discarded products into resources for industrial use.
Lithium, Cobalt and Nickel Recovery in Focus
The proposed facility will recover critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel from used lithium-ion batteries. These materials are essential for battery manufacturing, electric vehicles, energy storage systems and several electronics applications.
The project also envisages recovering rare earth elements, including neodymium, dysprosium and terbium, from discarded permanent magnets used in electronic equipment, hard drives and electric vehicle motors.
Rare earth elements are important for high-performance motors, renewable energy technologies, electronics and several strategic applications. Developing domestic recovery capabilities could help India diversify its sources of these materials and strengthen its recycling ecosystem.
Boost to India’s Critical Minerals Strategy
India’s growing electric vehicle, renewable energy and electronics industries are increasing the importance of securing reliable supplies of critical minerals. Dependence on imported materials remains a strategic concern for manufacturers and policymakers.
The proposed Meerut refinery could contribute to domestic mineral recovery by extracting valuable materials from products that would otherwise enter waste streams. Such facilities can complement conventional mining by recovering resources already present in batteries, electronic equipment and industrial components.
The project also aligns with the broader policy push to strengthen India’s critical minerals value chain, including exploration, processing, recycling and the recovery of materials from end-of-life products.
However, the project’s eventual contribution to reducing import dependence will depend on its commissioning, actual recovery rates, feedstock availability and the commercial scale of operations.
Invest UP to Facilitate Project Development
The MoU with Invest UP is intended to facilitate the proposed investment and support the company in navigating applicable approvals and clearances. Assistance in accessing relevant central and state government incentives may also be available, subject to eligibility and prevailing rules.
The project represents an opportunity to expand technology-led industrial activity in western Uttar Pradesh. Critical mineral recycling combines waste management with resource recovery, creating potential opportunities for specialised processing, logistics and associated industrial services.
1,300 Employment Opportunities Expected
The proposed investment is expected to create around 300 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect jobs. The indirect employment impact could extend to supply chains, collection and transportation of used batteries and electronic waste, and supporting industrial services.
The targeted capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year would position the proposed facility as a significant recycling project, provided it achieves its planned scale of operations.
The next milestones will be the development of the facility, completion of necessary approvals, commissioning and the commencement of commercial operations. These stages will determine when the anticipated employment and industrial benefits begin to materialise.
For Uttar Pradesh, the project signals an opportunity to participate in the emerging market for critical mineral recovery and advanced materials recycling, an area of growing importance to India’s manufacturing and clean-energy ambitions.
