Japan and India hold first event focused on recycling of key minerals

NEW DELHI – Japan and India have held the first joint event between their governments focusing on recycling key minerals at the Japanese Embassy in New Delhi.

About 130 participants, including government officials and recycling business operators, took part in the event Friday, which included panel discussions and presentations.

The global market for critical minerals, including rare earths, is dominated by China, making it necessary for both Japan and India to rely heavily on imports.

Meanwhile, India is the world’s third-largest emitter of electronic waste from discarded devices. Japan and India aim to tap the resources that are not utlized in large quantities to reduce their dependence on China.

The embassy co-hosted the event with Japan’s Environment Ministry. During the event, participating companies were given opportunities to connect with each other.

There is a global scramble for rare earths, said Joji Murakami, head of an Indian unit of Honda Trading, which is affiliated with the Japanese carmaker. Honda uses rare earth minerals in parts for motors.

The Honda group is looking for Indian partners involved in recycling in an attempt to break away from Chinese supply chains, Murakami said.