In the first of the series of roundtables organised by Bharat Recycling Show and Waste & Recycling magazine, insights into tyre recycling took centre stage. Stakeholders across the tyre recycling spectrum provided an overview of the current status of tyre recycling in India, offering insights into progress made and challenges that still persist. The participants included Chetan Joshi, Founder, CNJ Group of Companies and President of Tyre & Rubber Recyclers Association of India, Karun Sanghi, Chairman, Tyresoles & Chairman, Tyre Retreading Education Association, Jitendra Agarwal, Chief Vision Officer & MD, HomeZone, Mahesh Ahuja, Founder & CEO, Pyro Data Analysis, Tushar Suhalka, Founder, ReGrip, and Ankit Choudhary, Head of Commercials, Finster Carbon Pvt. Ltd. 

The tyre recycling industry in India has witnessed significant transformation over the past decade. Once characterised by informal practices and limited technology, the sector today is steadily formalising and embracing innovation, the participants highlighted during the discussion. 

Chetan Joshi, a pioneer in tyre recycling, asserted that India is not grappling with large-scale tyre dumping or rampant illegal burning,contrary to popular perception. “If we all travel in the cities of India from morning till evening, we will not get 100 tyres dumped anywhere.” He cleared the air on the issue, stating, "Used tyres are now a positively priced scrap." With value-added products emerging from recycling, old tyres are no longer considered waste, but a resource.

This shift has taken place over the last 10-15 years. In 2009, when some of the first modern recycling plants were imported from Europe, they remained idle due to a lack of scrap tyre supply. Since then, both domestic generation and import of scrap tyres have increased substantially, yet, there remains a gap. “Several recycling facilities in India are still under-utilised, pointing to the need for a better supply chain and policy support,” he noted. 

Jitendra Agarwal noted a divergence between volume growth and qualitative improvement. While commercial growth of tyre recycling is evident, the focus remains overly skewed towards waste-to-energy solutions, particularly pyrolysis. “There is hardly anybody focusing on waste-to-product,” he remarked. Unlike in Europe, where recycled rubber is used in infrastructure products such as speed breakers, wall claddings, or even furniture, India’s emphasis on developing such downstream markets remains limited. Jitendra highlighted the untapped potential of product-based recycling in India. 

Another critical component of the circular economy is tyre retreading, which sits between reuse and recycling. Karun Sanghi pointed out how the contribution of retreaded tyres is often overlooked in sustainability conversations. With 6 to 8 million tyres being retreaded annually in India, an equal number of new tyres are not being manufactured, saving resources and reducing environmental burden.

A major structural concern, however, remains the informality of the industry. As Mahesh Ahuja noted, the Indian tyre waste sector is “100% unstructured,” with around 80-90% of it operating in cash transactions. This ecosystem—from scrap dealers to recyclers—often bypasses Goods and Services Tax (GST) and government regulations, resulting in significant revenue loss for the state.

The dominant method

Broadly, tyre recycling in India follows three valorisation routes: Material Valorisation – Shredding tyres into crumb rubber for use in road construction or other rubber products. Energy Valorisation – Pyrolysis to extract fuel oil and carbon black. And Reclaim Rubber – Processing tyres into reusable rubber for industrial applications. 

Each pathway has its merits, but the consensus is clear: more emphasis is needed on product innovation and high-end applications to create a balanced ecosystem.

Tapping the potential of pyrolysis

At the heart of the conversation was pyrolysis — a process that dominates India's tyre recycling landscape — and the urgent need for recognition and standardisation of pyrolysis oil as a legitimate biofuel. Joshi said, "Europe has already certified tyre pyrolysis oil as a bio oil. Why haven’t we? There is biogenic content in it. If it's classified as fuel under Pollution Control Board mandates, recyclers can sell it legitimately." Without this certification, recyclers are often forced into informal transactions or undersell to unauthorised buyers, perpetuating a cycle of unregulated operations and tax evasions, he noted. 

Ahuja pointed out that there are SOPs — but they’re not followed. Most pyrolysis plants monitor only two parameters: pressure and temperature, he said, adding. “But are they documenting these properly? Are they comparing different process efficiencies? No. Data collection and analysis is virtually absent.” 

This lack of formal market recognition also hampers upstream processes. "If buyers aren’t willing to purchase on invoice with GST, how will recyclers buy raw materials through legal channels?" Tushar Suhalka questioned. The knock-on effects include rampant illegal imports and grey-market dealings, threatening the legitimacy of responsible players, pointed out Tushar Suhalka. 

Policy inconsistency to the fore 

The conversation also touched upon discrepancies in policy treatment. Batch pyrolysis plants, for example, are penalised with lower credit ratings under India's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, despite operating within government guidelines. “Are they doing anything wrong? They're producing the same oil. If they follow the rules, why are they penalised?” asked another panelist, calling for consistent EPR credit ratings and fair access to raw material imports.

Policy inconsistency extended further. Although discussions around standardisation and import regulation have taken place at the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), implementation remains sluggish. The participants criticised the regulatory inertia and called for urgent action to legalise and streamline tyre imports — not just through preferential licensing, but for all qualified recyclers.

“Imports are regulated but not for the benefit of Indian industry. Either you open it for all or commit to building India's domestic recycling capability within a defined timeframe,” argued Ankit Choudhary. He added “The license system has been around for 10–12 years and the industry is still as unorganised as ever. Regulation, as it stands, is not helping.” 

The core issue, said Suhalka, lies in the cost of collection. Collecting waste tyres in India is so expensive that importing entire containers proves cheaper. “We need to reduce the cost of domestic tyre collection if we want to avoid unnecessary imports,” he suggested. Proposing a collaborative approach, he added that retreaders could act as intermediaries to supply unusable tyres to recyclers, bridging logistical gaps. 

Another key issue raised by Ahuja was infrastructure. India's fragmented recycling infrastructure means many tyres end up dumped or burnt. A successful international example came from South Africa, where a government-appointed organisation called "Redisa" managed tyre collection and distributed them to recyclers. Funded by a levy on tyre manufacturers and importers, Redisa collected around 800 million rands annually. While the initiative eventually collapsed due to fund misappropriation, its initial model showed promise.

“A similar scheme in India — backed by both government and private sector — could transform the sector,” Ahuja said. “But it needs transparency, oversight, and a clear framework to avoid the same pitfalls.”

A cry for incentives and financial support

One of the key points raised was the stark contrast between global and Indian recycling policy support. Joshi highlighted that in Italy, a facility processing just 10,000 tons annually received a €9.5 million grant. “Here in India, recycling units that employ 30 to 40 people receive no such financial tools or technology incentives,” he noted.

Regulatory disparities across states

Choudhary highlighted a critical issue is the fragmented implementation of environmental regulations across Indian states. “Classification of recycling units, particularly pyrolysis plants, into green, orange, or red categories varies wildly, even though the emissions may be similar. As a result, companies face significant hurdles in obtaining clearances, with some states demanding additional pollution control equipment like Air Pollution Control Devices, while others do not,” he noted. 

The group called for comprehensive training and standard operating procedures to be shared with all State Pollution Control Boards. “Uniform interpretation of policies and emission norms is essential. Otherwise, businesses will continue to suffer due to red tape and arbitrary state-level decisions,” one member asserted.

The industry appreciates the growing involvement of associations in policymaking, but believes the process can be more inclusive. “The government is listening and seeking inputs. In fact, the progress we’ve seen in the last few years is faster than what took decades elsewhere. But input adoption can still be improved,” said Joshi. 

Standardisation remains a sore point. A major issue is that raw recycled material and virgin material share the same HSN code, making it difficult to distinguish between the two in customs and trade systems. “Without clear classification, the industry faces hurdles in fair valuation and trade competitiveness,” said Suhalka. 

EPR implementation

The discussion also shed light on the implementation glitches in EPR framework. Although tyre retreading was included under EPR norms as an afterthought, the operational roadmap remains broken, as underscored by Sanghi. 

“We are registered on the government portal, but for the last three years, we haven’t been able to upload production figures or claim retreading credits because the system isn’t functional,” he said. “Even if credits are given, the inconsistencies make tyre companies reluctant to rely on them. Instead, they prefer to buy EPR credits directly.”  

Agarwal said, “Any manufacturer buying a recycled product sees it as a raw material — and that affects their quality and specifications. So unless we produce it at scale and with consistent quality, producers hesitate to adopt it.” This points to a trust deficit and quality assurance gap that needs bridging through standards, certifications, and technology upgrades.

The conversation also touched upon the disjointed approach between tyre producers, recyclers, and government bodies. As per the EPR rules, tyre manufacturers face recycling targets, but are not necessarily required to use recycled materials in their new products.  Consumers often opt for cheaper, non-sustainable tyres because there's no visible benefit or certification attached to greener options. “There’s no green mark on tyres,” a panellist noted. Without clear branding and consumer awareness, there’s little incentive for manufacturers to absorb the higher costs of sustainable raw materials. Indian manufacturers must invest in R&D, set standards for vendors, and certify products. Until that happens, we’ll remain stuck in an unrecognised, disorganised state. 

In terms of collaboration, the mood was cautiously optimistic. “Today, recyclers, retreaders, and tyre manufacturers function in silos. If we start working together as one industry, the change will be profound,” Sanghi suggested. Encouragingly, some state-level dialogues between recyclers and manufacturers have begun, but they remain sporadic and informal.

Participants stressed that India’s tyre recycling challenges need India-specific solutions. They called for formalising scrap collectors through authorised certification to recognise their vital role in the recovery chain. 

There’s a pressing need to certify recovered materials like pyrolysis oil, RCB, and retreaded tyres, which currently lack safety and quality standards. While EPR exists, it’s often reduced to a formality. Experts urged leveraging local dealer networks for tyre collection and incentivising consumers via loyalty rewards. The sector’s fragmentation — with hundreds of recyclers and thousands of retailers — demands a unified platform to align stakeholders and streamline operations.