Nodal ministry needed for material recycling industry: Niti Aayog boss Amitabh Kant

MUMBAI: There is a need to set up a nodal ministry for the material recycling industry for better regulation and growth, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Wednesday.

The industry mainly comprises metal, plastic, paper, tyre and e-waste recycling.

"The nodal ministry to govern the material recycling industry should not be a regulatory ministry, as the policy is critical to push the growth and prospects of the industry.


"It being a developmental work, the department of industrial policy and promotion would be better placed to have this," Kant said while addressing a webinar organised by the Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI).

Kant said there is also a need to constitute designated material recycling zones on the outskirts of each city and this should be compulsory.

Niti Aayog will consult with the government on these issues and also take action to transform this unorganised sector into an organised one with the required regulatory framework, he added.

MRAI President Sanjay Mehta pitched for including the industry under the 'Essential Commodities' list, like in many developed nations.

The material recycling industry has been grappling with logistics and labour constraints in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, Mehta added.