India's first government-authorised vehicle recycler Mahindra Cero has joined hands with the government of Maharashtra state to establish four new vehicle-scrapping units in the state with planned capacity of 40,000 vehicles/yr.
Cero, a joint venture between Mahindra Accelo and government-controlled Metal Scrap Trade Corporation and previously Mahindra MSTC Recycling, operates a recycling facility at Pune and is looking to set up four additional facilities in Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nashik.
The proposed scrap centres will recycle end-of-life two/three-wheelers, passenger/commercial vehicles in accordance with legal and environmental norms prescribed by India's central pollution control board and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
"From a sustainability point of view, through recycling of old vehicles, we aim to reduce India's dependence on steel scrap imports and conservation of natural resources, which go into the production of steel," said managing director of Mahindra Accelo, Sumit Issar.
Apart from Pune, Cero is also present in Greater Noida, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Indore, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
India launched the national vehicle scrapping policy in August aiming to phase out unfit and polluting vehicles, while increasing domestic scrap metal processing capacity and reducing dependency on scrap imports.
About 3-4 scrapping centres should be set up in every district, India's minister of road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari has said.
India's Tata Motors has also signed an initial deal with the government of Maharashtra to set up a 35,000 vehicle/yr scrapping centre in the state and had announced a 36,000 vehicle/yr scrapping facility in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Maruti Suzuki Toyotsu India, a joint venture between India's Maruti Suzuki and Japan's Toyota Tsusho group, last month launched a 24,000 vehicle/yr scrapping and recycling unit in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
India was the world's second-largest steel scrap importer in 2019, according to the Bureau of International Recycling.
