From Curiosity to Circularity: The Founders’ Journey of NavPrakriti
From the desk of Akhilesh Bagaria (Co-fonder NavPrakriti)..
Every journey begins with a question. For us, that question was simple yet profound: What happens to a battery when it dies?
Back in the early 2000s, our family business revolved around automobiles. For nearly two decades, we lived and breathed the automotive world. But it was during our association with MG Motors that we came face-to-face with something that would redefine our purpose—lithium-ion batteries.
At first, it was just curiosity. We wondered about the chemistry, the design, the life cycle. This curiosity took us to recycling plants across India and abroad, to conferences where global experts discussed the looming challenges of battery waste, and to workshops where we experimented with small-scale recycling processes.
The deeper we went, the clearer it became: India was on the cusp of an electric revolution but lacked a robust battery recycling ecosystem. With consumer electronics and electric mobility rising rapidly, the country was sitting on a ticking time bomb of end-of-life batteries. And within this gap, we saw not just a problem—but an opportunity.
That was the beginning of NavPrakriti Green Energies Pvt. Ltd.
Building East India’s First Large-Scale Recycling Plant
We set out with a mission: to make recycling the backbone of India’s clean energy transition. NavPrakriti was founded with the vision of creating a circular economy—where no resource truly goes to waste.
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Today, NavPrakriti stands as East India’s first large-scale lithium-ion battery recycling company with a planned infeed capacity of 24,000 tons of end-of-life batteries. Our expertise spans black mass recovery, hydrometallurgy, and second-life battery refurbishment.
Compliance has always been our north star. From obtaining the Consent to Operate (CTO) to being fully aligned with India’s Battery Waste Management Rules 2022, we have built NavPrakriti on a foundation of responsibility and trust.
Why Policy Matters
We believe timing is everything. India today is at the inception of electrification—whether it’s mobility, clean energy, or local cell manufacturing. The government’s forward-looking steps—through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), subsidies, and grants—signal a clear direction: manufacturing and recycling must go hand in hand.
For us, these policies are not just regulations to follow; they are enablers of innovation. They validate the path we chose years ago when most people hadn’t yet realized the urgency of battery recycling.
The Road Ahead
NavPrakriti’s journey has only just begun. Our first shredding unit is already operational, and by November 2025, we will launch a battery refurbishment line—pioneering second-life applications in India.
But our vision extends further. In the next five years, we aspire to become a global leader in recycled products, branching into non-ferrous metal refining, magnet recycling, and solar panel recycling. For us, the guiding belief is simple: no battery or resource is ever obsolete—it can always be given a new purpose.
A Story of Two Brothers
Behind NavPrakriti are two brothers with one shared dream:
- Akhilesh Bagaria – A Chartered Accountant and Warwick University graduate who drives strategy, innovation, and systems thinking.
- Avnish Bagaria – A Warwick Business School alumnus who ensures execution, marketing, and customer value are always at the forefront.
Together, we complement each other, vision and execution, curiosity and pragmatism. What binds us is not just family, but a shared conviction that sustainability must power India’s future.
Moving Forward…
When we started this journey, it wasn’t about building a company—it was about answering a question. That question led us to a mission, and today that mission has grown into NavPrakriti.
We stand at the crossroads of India’s clean energy transition, determined to play our part. For us, every battery we recycle, every mineral we recover, and every partnership we build is one step closer to putting India on the global map of green leadership.
And this is just the beginning.
