Environmentally Sound Management of ELVs in India

The first lecture of the two-part environment series provided an overview of the supplier and the OEM function, regulations and policy, and the economic impact of recycling ELVs.

- Deepti Thore

Tackling End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) in an environmentally sensitive manner is at the core of safely reintroducing waste to new production. The sound management acts to transform waste into nutrients fed to the new product. This approach popularly known as the ‘cradle-to-cradle’ although not new to the automotive industry has room for immense headway. In India, a well-oiled recycling ecosystem is the crying need of the hour. The first lecture of the two-part environment series outlined such nitty-gritty. It provided an overview of the supplier and the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) function, regulations and policy, and the economic impact of recycling ELVs. Setting the tone of the proceedings, exclaimed Rahul Mishra, Principal at Kearney, “The steady shift towards ELVs in India has multiple implications for all the stakeholders in the automotive industry in particular and the economy at large.”

By 2025, ELVs in India is expected to reach a market size of 2022 million at an estimated valuation of Rs.9400-12,500 crore, as per the Kearney study cited. In a further bifurcation, Shovik Banerjee, Principal at Kearney opined that the scrap generation from ELVs would touch a valuation of USD 5.6 million, by 2025. Projecting the contribution of different vehicular segments to ELVs over the next half a decade, Banerjee stated, passenger vehicles alone would be the second-largest contributor to ELVs at 10-30 per cent in a total passenger vehicle population (parc) of 12 per cent. Two-wheelers would make up for a 25-35 per cent share in a vehicle parc of about 80 per cent. Commercial vehicles would contribute the bulk of the share at 40-50 in a vehicle parc of six per cent, he pointed further.

Key OEM and supplier considerations