New Delhi: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, urged the automotive industry to adopt “Nature Positive Recycling” strategies during his keynote address at the 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Circularity in New Delhi Monday.
The conference, organized by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), focused on sustainable development and circularity in the automotive sector, a PIB press release stated.
Yadav emphasized the importance of aligning India’s growing automotive industry, currently the world’s third-largest in passenger vehicle sales, with environmental sustainability. He urged industry leaders to look to nature’s efficient recycling systems for inspiration. “Nobody recycles like Nature,” Yadav stated, highlighting the need to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency. He further noted, “We can never match the scale of production when it comes to Nature and yet there is zero waste. As we take pride in our manufacturing abilities, let us also take a humbling lesson from Mother Nature in managing waste”.
The Minister outlined the three-fold benefits of transitioning to a circular economy for India: economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social impact. He praised the Indian government’s initiatives, such as the Vehicle Scrappage Policy and the End-of-Life Vehicles Rules, 2025, for promoting sustainability. He also highlighted the government’s efforts to promote electric vehicles, including the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) and the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes. EV sales are projected to comprise 35% of total vehicle sales by 2030, offsetting 5 metric tonnes of CO2 annually.
Yadav concluded by calling upon SIAM and the automotive industry to lead the transition to a circular economy by incorporating recyclable designs, promoting sustainability in dealership operations, and enhancing consumer awareness. He stressed the dual responsibility of the industry to drive economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability.