TL;DR
Experts highlight that domestic gigafactories and a strong battery recycling infrastructure are essential for reducing EV costs and import dependency in India, outweighing the long-term impact of purchase subsidies.
Industry experts emphasize that the development of domestic gigafactories and a robust battery recycling ecosystem will be pivotal for the next phase of electric vehicle (EV) adoption in India. These initiatives are seen as essential for making EVs more affordable and reducing the country's reliance on imported battery cells.
Discussions at the India Clean Transportation Summit 2026 highlighted that strengthening local manufacturing and recycling capabilities is more critical for long-term EV competitiveness than solely depending on purchase subsidies. However, the expansion of charging infrastructure remains a significant challenge that needs to be addressed for broader EV adoption.
Nitin Gupta, CEO of Attero, a lithium battery recycling company, noted that the volume of end-of-life batteries in India has doubled over the past year, indicating rapid growth in the recycling sector. The establishment of domestic gigafactories would foster a circular battery supply chain, enabling materials to be reused in manufacturing.
