NavPrakriti Signs MoU with IIT Kharagpur to Advance Battery Recycling Research and Skill Development

NavPrakriti has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur to strengthen collaboration in battery recycling research, talent development, and technological innovation within India’s growing battery and critical minerals sector.

The partnership aims to support India’s clean energy transition by focusing on lithium-ion battery recycling, resource circularity, and workforce development as the country accelerates toward its renewable energy and net-zero targets.

Under the agreement, both organisations will collaborate on student internship programs, joint research initiatives, skill development activities, and technology consulting projects related to battery refining and refurbishment.

As part of the collaboration, IIT Kharagpur students will receive practical industry exposure at NavPrakriti’s battery recycling facilities, including its Serampore plant in West Bengal, which the company describes as eastern India’s largest lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

The joint research initiatives will focus on advancing battery material recovery technologies, hydrometallurgical refining processes, and chemical extraction techniques for critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium. The collaboration is also expected to support India’s National Critical Mineral Mission.

Commenting on the development, Akhilesh Bagaria, Co-Founder of NavPrakriti, said the partnership combines industrial expertise with academic research excellence to accelerate innovation in battery recycling while creating practical learning opportunities for engineering students.

Avnish Bagaria, Co-Founder of NavPrakriti, stated that the collaboration aims to help build a future-ready workforce and support technological advancements critical to India’s energy security and sustainability goals.

The partnership comes at a time when India’s lithium-ion battery demand is expected to rise significantly over the next decade, driven by electric mobility adoption, renewable energy storage deployment, and industrial electrification.

By integrating industry-scale recycling operations with academic research and training capabilities, the collaboration seeks to accelerate sustainable battery management solutions and strengthen India’s emerging critical minerals and energy storage ecosystem.