India: Waste Management

Customers, investors, regulators, lenders, and supply chain partners are increasingly scrutinizing how organizations manage ESG-related issues. Climate change, resource scarcity, biodiversity loss, human rights concerns, circular economy requirements, and governance failures are no longer viewed as peripheral sustainability topics. They have become core business risks.

In Bhopal Municipal Corporation v. Dr. Subhash C. Pandey & Ors., the Supreme Court of India transforms a municipal dispute into a nationwide directive on scientific waste management and environmental compliance. Reaffirming that the right to a clean environment is part of Article 21, the Court highlights India’s growing waste crisis and holds local authorities accountable as constitutional trustees of public health and environmental protection.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India ("MNRE") on February 25, 2026 issued the draft guidelines for quantifying greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions from offsite water drawal and treatment, for stakeholder comments until March 13, 20262. These guidelines inter alia provide for benchmark emission factors along with a mechanism for allocation/ determination of emissions during water treatment systems in order to ensure compliance with the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India3 and alignment with ISO 19870:2023.

Our paper sets out an overview of the waste management landscape in India – capturing the regulatory framework, analysing the recent updates and industry developments, and tracing the growth of the waste management sector.

Over the past years, India's electric vehicle (EV) sector has rapidly evolved from early pilot projects to mainstream adoption, which was largely driven by supportive government policies, rising fuel prices, and increased consumer interest.

The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on November 2, 2022, and effective from April 1, 2023, represent a comprehensive regulatory framework for addressing India's growing electronic waste challenge.

The May 2025 edition of Fox & Mandal's newsletter examines RBI's guidelines on digital lending; validity of retrospective environmental clearance for infrastructure projects; using input tax credit as GST appeal pre-deposit; Singapore's recognition of CIRP under the Model Law; co-investment vehicle in alternative investing; UGC's framework for recognising foreign qualifications; and other regulatory changes in India's corporate, capital markets, real estate, insolvency, and banking sectors.

This May newsletter covers categories of updates relating to labour, environment and industry related laws. Notification of Karnataka Factories (Safety Audit) Rules, 2024...

Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI"), vide its circular dated April 1, 2025, has offered important clarification on the position and reporting level of Compliance Officers under Regulation 6(1) of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.