Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) hosted the 4th International Conference on Sustainable Circularity in New Delhi on Tuesday, urging coordinated policy action and industry collaboration to accelerate India’s transition to an automotive circular economy.
The conference focused on integrating circular economy principles across vehicle design, material selection, manufacturing, recycling systems, digital tracking and regulatory compliance. Discussions covered decarbonisation, resource efficiency, post-crash response systems and material compliance.
Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, said greater attention was needed on air quality and end-of-life vehicle (ELV) management, particularly in Delhi NCR. He noted that ELV supply to Registered Vehicle Scrappage Facilities (RVSFs) must increase and flagged documentation gaps, unpaid challans, insurance lapses and pending road taxes as barriers to formal scrappage.
Mahmood Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said regulations and standards are being aligned to reduce emissions, improve fuel efficiency and promote cleaner fuels. He said nearly 125–130 RVSFs are operational under the Vehicle Scrapping Policy and reiterated support for a fitness-based vehicle regulation framework, alongside restrictions on older vehicles in Delhi NCR in line with Supreme Court directions.
Virinder Sharma, Member (Technical), Commission for Air Quality Management, said digital tracking of ELVs has improved monitoring and disposal planning. He noted that the automotive sector contributes around 7 percent to India’s GDP and has a role in supporting the country’s Net Zero 2070 target.
Vikram Kasbekar, Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer at Hero MotoCorp Ltd, said development of RVSFs is central to building a structured mobility ecosystem. He added that integrating non-registered recyclers into formal systems would help improve compliance and scale.
Ashim Sharma, Senior Partner at Nomura Research Institute, called for wider adoption of the reduce–reuse–recover framework and stronger implementation of existing policies. He said Automated Testing Stations need wider geographic presence to increase formal ELV volumes.
Sanjay Mehta, President, Material Recycling Association of India, said ELVs should be treated as future sources of secondary raw materials. He emphasised the need for effective extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations and enforcement.
During the conference, SIAM released a context paper titled “Accelerating India’s Transition to an Automotive Circular Economy.”
The first thematic session, focused on design, materials innovation and recycling systems, included remarks from Kiran Sarkar of Mahindra & Mahindra and Dinabandhu Gouda, Director at the Central Pollution Control Board. Gouda said technological capability in recycling exists but gaps remain in traceability, quality assurance, policy clarity and integration of informal players.
Speakers in the session included representatives from Maruti Suzuki Toyotsu India, IFP Petro and GRP Ltd, among others. Discussions centred on integrating circularity into product design and strengthening collaboration among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers and recyclers.
The second thematic session examined recycling innovations led by startups and industry stakeholders, with participation from companies including Apollo Tyres, Lohum Cleantech and CSIR-NEERI.
The conference, held at the India Habitat Centre, was organised as part of SIAM Sustainable Mobility Week 2026, which runs from February 16 to 19. The event brought together policymakers, regulators, vehicle manufacturers, recyclers and technology firms to discuss lifecycle-based approaches to automotive production and end-of-life management.
SIAM said the discussions underscored that circularity extends beyond end-of-life recycling to encompass design philosophy, sourcing, manufacturing processes, reverse logistics and digital traceability.
Sustainable Mobility Week will conclude on February 19 with the 1st International Conference on Automotive Material Compliance and Sustainability.