Dealers should also step into vehicle scrapping: Nitin Gadkari

Gadkari linked scrapping directly to the industry’s export ambitions and India’s aim of becoming a global hub for clean mobility.

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Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has reiterated that the success of India’s green mobility shift will depend not only on electric and biofuel adoption but also on scrapping old vehicles at scale.Speaking at the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations’ (FADA) 7th Auto Retail Conclave in September, Gadkari underlined that scrapping is a critical source of raw material for the country’s automotive and clean energy future.

“Regarding scrapping the car, we can get a lot of good material which is a real metal from scrapping. We can recycle and use it. So, it can be recycled 100 per cent,” the minister told industry stakeholders.

He urged manufacturers and dealers alike to see scrappage as an opportunity that aligns with both sustainability and cost competitiveness. “Dealers should step into vehicle scrappage,” he stressed.

India imports fossil fuels worth ₹22 lakh crore annually. Gadkari said this burden can be reduced through a combined strategy of electrification, alternative fuels, and recycling.

He emphasised that rising domestic manufacturing capacity in EVs and new chemistries such as sodium and aluminium batteries will need a steady supply of materials and scrapping can help bridge that requirement.

“The government is already in the process, we have a very transparent and professional policy by which it can be easily possible to get minerals as soon as possible,” Gadkari said. “Scrapping can give us 100 per cent recyclable material.”

While he acknowledged the challenges of scaling up new technologies, the minister maintained that India’s cost base, skilled manpower, and domestic demand make it possible to build a globally competitive ecosystem.

He added that global OEMs are already exporting electric vehicles from India, underscoring the opportunity to integrate scrapping into this cycle.

On a broader note, Gadkari linked scrapping directly to the industry’s export ambitions and India’s aim of becoming a global hub for clean mobility.

“This is very important for manufacturers, they can make more exports. Dealers should also see the huge market that scrapping can open,” he said.