The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFC), Government of India, has issued a notification on rules for battery waste management in view of the shift to electric vehicles. Anticipating a need to have an organised channel for the safe disposal and recycling of batteries, the rules, called the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, are applicable to the producer, dealer, consumer, entities involved in collection, segregation, transportation, refurbishment and recycling of waste batteries. 

All types of batteries, regardless of their chemistry, shape, volume, weight, material composition and use are covered under the rules. The rules also have a provision for penal action in case of a violation and imposition of environmental compensation. The ministry has also set a minimum recovery percentage target for recovered materials out of dry weight batteries. 

The recovered materials will be then used to produce new batteries. For FY2024-25, the recovery target is set at 70 percent whereas for FY2025-26, it is 80 percent. The target for FY2026-27 is 90 percent. Mentioning that the recovery target may be reviewed by the committee once every four years to revisit the minimum levels of recovered battery materials in light of technical and scientific progress and emerging new technologies in waste management, the notification is expected to contribute towards enhancing each and every EV’s cost to the environment in India. This is especially in connection with the fact that nearly 1.4 million EVs as of July 2022 are said to operate in India if the data shared by the ministry of road transport and highways is relied upon. More than half of this volume is claimed to consist of electric three-wheelers followed by two-wheelers and passenger cars. 

The PLI scheme and other policy changes in terms of manufacture and sale of electric vehicles, it is clear that a strong battery ELV and disposal policy has to be in place. From the cost to the environment point of view, a policy extension in terms of the manufacture of such batteries locally down to the fuel cell level should also taking into view the ability of the battery to perform efficiently through out its lifecycle, thus staying alive for longer and when it does die, it should be recyclable to a great extent. 

Dr Akshay Singhal, Founder and CEO of Log9 Materials, averred. “The newly introduced Battery Waste Management standards by the Government under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concept addresses two important concerns. An efficient and effective waste management of all Li-Ion batteries that are nearing the end of their useful life and are expected to end up in landfills in a few years, avoiding any residual pollution impact. Second is the emphasis on investing in and nurturing the recycling of such used batteries, reducing the reliance on fresh resource mining.” 

Shubham Vishvakarma, CEO and Chief of Process Engineering of Metastable Materials, said, “The Battery Waste Management Rules announced by the Government of India is an excellent and much-needed step towards bringing to the fore innovations and myriad growth opportunities for the battery waste management and battery treatment space in our country, especially at a time when the ongoing EV boom in India is leading us to increasing concerns on e-waste.” “Under the new Rules notified, the Government has mandated a minimum percentage of recovery of various materials from end-of-life batteries, which is bound to enable the growth of novel business models such as urban mining in order to reduce India’s foreign dependency on procuring raw materials for EV batteries and other types of batteries,” he added. 

Ashok Sudrik, Chief Scientist, Infinite Orbit Research and Development Pvt Ltd, commented, “The Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, were much needed and we are happy that government has started taking cognizance of the hazardous waste being created and the recycling or waste collection. Other than waste management recycling rules, there is a need for manufacturers to incorporate extension of battery life technologies, keep the lithium content minimal and develop innovative cell chemistry. The life of a battery should be 4000 to 6000 cycles, which means a life spane of about 10 to 15 years. BaaS (Battery as a Service) concept with swappable batteries will be a big contributor to the ultimate goal of keeping cost to the environment low.”

In other parts of the world

In Canada, Li-Cycle will begin constructing a USD 175 million plant in Rochester, N.Y., for recycling of lithium-ion batteries. On the grounds of what used to be the Eastman Kodak complex, the plant will be the largest of its kind in North America with an eventual capacity of 25 metric kilotons of input material and a capability to recover 95 percent or more of cobalt, nickel, lithium and other valuable elements through zero-wastewater, zero-emissions process. Ajay Kochhar, Co-founder and CEO, Li-Cycle, said, “We'll be one of the largest domestic sources of nickel and lithium, as well as the only source of cobalt in the United States."  

In May 2022, Hydrovolt, the largest battery recycling plant in Europe started operations in Fredrikstad, Norway. A joint venture between two Norwegian companies – Hydro and Northvolt, the plant has the capacity to process 12,000 tonnes of battery packs per year, enough for the entire end-of-life battery market in Norway currently. Claimed to have the capability to recover 95 percent of the materials used in an EV battery including plastics, copper, aluminum and ‘black mass’, a powder containing various elements inside lithium-ion batteries like nickel, manganese, cobalt and lithium. 

Not just in Europe or US, the rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and associated battery gigafactories is pushing forward the creation of a battery recycling value chain. It is a matter of debate whether it got to be a close-loop or an open-loop design in terms of sourcing of batteries to recycle and to put the resulting material to good use so that the cost to the environment is kept minimal. As the demand for use of ‘green’ electricity source gathers pace the world over, on the other end of the spectrum, which involved the end-of-life vehicle for EVs, the demand for recycling in increasing partly due to regulations – the EU regulations have just intensified – and partly by a demand for re-use of materials due to geo-political reasons as well. A strong desire to localise supply chains and safeguard critical raw materials are also the driving factors.  

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Volvo Cars has earned the highest possible rating for software-defined vehicle (SDV) capabilities from S&P Global Mobility, standing alone among legacy automakers as the only one to achieve a Level 5 designation. This top-tier ranking underscores the company’s capacity to enhance nearly all aspects of a vehicle throughout its lifespan, delivering greater long-term value to customers. Through over-the-air (OTA) updates, Volvo can introduce new safety functions, accelerate charging speeds, extend driving range and refine the overall user experience.

The transition to software-defined vehicles represents a transformative leap for Volvo, empowering its cars on the road to continuously evolve and setting a new benchmark for safety. As part of its most significant technological overhaul in nearly a century, the company now leverages real-world data to generate insights that inform the development of future safety and driver assistance systems.

Central to this capability is HuginCore, Volvo’s internally developed core system. Featuring a sophisticated electrical architecture, a central computing platform, zone controllers and integrated software, HuginCore is the foundation of the company’s three software-centric models: the EX90, ES90 and EX60. This architecture enables scalable enhancements, faster innovation cycles and superior experiences across the entire vehicle lineup.

S&P Global Mobility, a premier provider of automotive intelligence, offers the comprehensive data and expert analysis that informed this evaluation, assisting the industry in making more informed, lower-risk decisions.

Håkan Samuelsson, CEO, Volvo Cars, said, “Years of focused engineering efforts and investments have given Volvo software capabilities that only a select few in the industry have achieved. This has enabled us to deliver a step change in customer experiences and development speed.”

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Marelli has developed an AI-driven System Test Generation (STG) Agent in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The tool automates the creation of system test cases from engineering requirements, addressing a traditionally labour-intensive phase of the automotive validation cycle.

The STG Agent was developed alongside the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center and utilises Amazon Nova foundation models, Amazon Bedrock Knowledge Bases and the Strands Agents framework.

The system is designed to integrate with existing requirement management tools and automotive engineering workflows. By automating the analysis of system requirements, the tool identifies expected behaviours and generates structured, traceable test cases to verify that product features align with customer specifications.

As vehicle platforms transition toward software-defined architectures, engineering teams must manage increasing volumes of data and specifications. The STG Agent aims to reduce validation time for new vehicle functionalities, improve consistency in product behaviour across global programmes and accelerate product development for vehicle manufacturers.

Daniele Russo, Head of System Performance Optimisation in Marelli’s Electronics Engineering team, said, “The STG Agent represents an important step forward in how we validate solutions for software-defined vehicles. By combining our engineering expertise with advanced AI capabilities from AWS, we significantly accelerate validation cycles and ensure consistent quality across global programs. This solution enables us to support our customers faster and more efficiently, strengthening the foundation for the next generation of software-defined vehicles.”

Giulia Gasparini, Country Leader of AWS Italia, commented, "Marelli's approach to automating system validation demonstrates the transformative potential of generative AI in automotive engineering. By leveraging Amazon Nova foundation models and Amazon Bedrock, companies are setting new standards for how software-defined vehicles are developed and validated. This solution shows how advanced AI can accelerate innovation while maintaining the rigorous quality and safety requirements that define the automotive industry."

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Nawgati, an Indian fuel-tech company, has been named the title sponsor for the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Petrol Dealers Association Pune (PDAP). The association represents over 900 petroleum dealers within the Pune district.

The AGM is scheduled for 21 March 2026 at the Hotel Westin Koregaon Park, Pune. The event includes an industry exhibition designed to showcase technological solutions and services within the petroleum retail value chain.

Attendees will include senior bureaucrats, officials from oil marketing companies and representatives from dealer associations across Maharashtra. The gathering focuses on the convergence of digital innovation and existing fuel retail infrastructure.

Nawgati is utilising the platform to highlight Aaveg for Dealers, an operating system developed for fuel retailers. The platform integrates several operational functions into a single interface: real-time accounting and inventory management, sales intelligence and automated invoicing, digital contracts and credit control systems.

The company currently operates across India and has established subsidiaries in the UAE and Sri Lanka to scale its connected fuelling ecosystem.

Vaibhav Kaushik, Co-Founder & CEO, Nawgati, said, “The Petrol Dealers Association Pune AGM is bringing together stakeholders who are directly involved in these discussions through this Annual General Meeting, and Nawgati is pleased to support a platform that encourages meaningful exchange within the sector, as such conversations are important in shaping practical solutions that benefit both dealers and consumers.”

Aalaap Nair, Co-Founder, Nawgati, added, “Through Aaveg for Dealers, we are introducing an all-in-one operating system designed specifically for modern fuel retailers. It brings together real-time accounting, inventory management, and sales intelligence into a single, seamless platform. By enabling greater control over credit, customers, and cash flow, supported by smart insights, automated invoicing, and digital contracts, Aaveg is simplifying operations and helping dealers run more efficient, scalable fuel businesses.”

Dhruv Ruparel, President of the Petrol Dealers Association Pune, stated, “The Annual General Meeting serves as an important forum for the dealer community, as it gives us a platform to engage on operational and industry-related developments. Nawgati’s association this year as the “title sponsor” reflects the increasing role of tech-led solutions in fuel retail, which is strengthening these operations. We are looking forward to constructive discussions that support the sector’s continued progress.”

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Japanese technology company TIER IV and Isuzu Motors have announced the deployment of Level 4 autonomous buses using the Nvidia Drive Hyperion computing platform. The technology will be integrated into Isuzu ERGA electric and diesel models, featuring the Nvidia Drive AGX Thor system-on-chip (SoC) to provide safety and performance redundancy.

The autonomous transit vehicles combine TIER IV’s Level 4 software stack, based on the open-source Autoware platform, with Isuzu’s vehicle architecture and Nvidia’s AI compute. The objective is to create high-capacity public transit solutions capable of scalable deployment.

The system is designed to be hardware-agnostic and fail-operational, addressing operational requirements for public services and national challenges such as driver shortages.

Shinpei Kato, Founder and CEO, TIER IV, said, “This collaboration marks a definitive milestone for autonomous transit. By fusing Isuzu’s legendary engineering with NVIDIA’s Thor AI compute, we have built an unmatched foundation for Level 4 transit driven by Autoware. Unveiling this Level 4 autonomous bus deployment at Nvidia GTC 2026 proves that when you combine world-class hardware with the power of the Autoware ecosystem, safe and scalable public transit is no longer a goal – it is a reality.”

Hiroshi Sato, Senior Executive Officer and Vice-President, Engineering Division, Isuzu, commented, “Our partnership with TIER IV and Nvidia represents a significant leap in commercial vehicle intelligence. Deploying Level 4 autonomous driving on both our ERGA EV and diesel models ensures that we provide versatile, sustainable, and highly efficient solutions for any fleet. We are bringing Isuzu’s world-renowned reliability to the autonomous age, ensuring safe and high-performance transit at scale.”

Rishi Dhall, Vice-President of Automotive, NVIDIA, added, “The transition to highly automated commercial transport demands fail-operational, high-performance computing without compromise. TIER IV and Isuzu are frontrunners in the public transit vertical, utilizing Nvidia Drive AGX Thor on the Drive Hyperion platform in the Isuzu ERGA to power TIER IV’s Autoware-based Level 4 software stack. Their scalable solution addresses critical real-world needs, such as Japan’s national driver shortage, while delivering the operational rigor necessary for essential public services.”

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