Karan Khurana, founder and CEO of Indian battery recycling company ReBAT, has called for clear national rules and a structured system for used EV batteries in Nepal.
Speaking at a NAIMA discussion on battery recycling and ethanol blending in fuel, Khurana said making automobile importers directly responsible for recycling is not practical, as it falls outside their core business.
He noted that Nepal currently lacks a dedicated battery recycling industry, with most recycling work happening abroad. At the same time, the number of electric vehicles and used batteries in the country is rising.
Khurana pointed to geography and the open Nepal–India border as key challenges for tracking batteries. Lead-acid and other batteries are sometimes moved to India through unofficial channels, and some traders may skip VAT billing by routing used units across the border.
He said Kathmandu could support an organised collection network, but gathering and transporting batteries from remote hills and mountains would be far more difficult. To improve coverage, he proposed authorised collection centres along major highways.
On lithium-ion packs, Khurana explained that batteries must be dismantled into plastic, aluminium and copper, and that Nepal currently does not have the technology to recycle black mass. He suggested that processed black mass could be exported to India or other markets, creating extra value from waste batteries.
Overall, he urged the government to set clear guidelines instead of forcing businesses to handle every recycling step, and to build a nationwide collection and tracking system before EV battery volumes grow beyond control.
Writes on vehicle pricing, taxation and the Nepali auto market from ongoing tracking of distributor price lists. Editorial policy.
