IIT-M, Bridge Green Join Hands To Turn Battery Waste Into Critical Minerals
IIT-M has joined hands with lithium-ion battery circularity firm Bridge Green Upcycle to develop next-generation technologies for recovering critical minerals from battery waste.
Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has joined hands with lithium-ion battery circularity firm Bridge Green Upcycle to develop next-generation technologies for recovering critical minerals from battery waste, in a move aimed at reducing India’s dependence on imports.
The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during SustainX 2026, IIT-M’s flagship sustainability conference. IIT-M director Prof. V. Kamakoti and Bridge Green founder and chairman Balki Iyer exchanged the MoU.
The partnership builds on an existing association between the institute and Bridge Green and seeks to combine academic research with industrial expertise to develop technologies for the circular economy.
With demand for critical minerals such as lithium and other battery materials rising rapidly, the partners said battery recycling and resource recovery could play a strategic role in strengthening India’s resource security.
The collaboration will focus on developing advanced technologies that can convert battery waste into valuable resources by bringing together artificial intelligence, advanced materials science and process innovation.
The initiative is also expected to strengthen India’s capabilities in critical-mineral recovery and battery circularity, while supporting the development of technologies that could be scaled for industrial applications.
