The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to scale up the circular economy practices across telecom. The move comes in light of a policy shift toward responsible production, use and disposal of telecom equipment.
The collaboration was formalised through a national-level workshop held in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, telecom operators, equipment manufacturers, recyclers and technology providers. The event featured focused discussions on how circular economy principles can be incorporated into telecom operations at different levels.
The move comes into light as India faces rising volumes of electronic waste and increasing pressure to align high-growth sectors. The telecom sector plans to align with environmental and sustainability goals through this.
What Does the DoT–UNDP Collaboration Aim to Achieve?
The partnership stands at the centre of multiple goals to integrate circular economy models into India’s telecom ecosystem. This includes increasing the life of telecom equipment, promoting reuse and refurbishment, strengthening recycling systems and reducing the sector’s environmental footprint.
“The aim is to move away from a linear “use-and-discard” model and towards a system where materials and components stay usable”, said officials. The approach is expected to reduce waste generation while improving resource efficiency.
The telecom sector, which supports India’s digital economy, relies heavily on network gear, consumer devices, batteries and infrastructure components that have limited lifespans. As networks expand and technologies upgrade, older equipment often ends up as e-waste. Circular economy practices will address the challenge without slowing sectoral growth.
How the Policy Approach is Being Shaped?
Rather than immediately announcing new regulations, the DoT and UNDP are using stakeholder consultations to shape policy direction. The national workshop served as a platform to gather industry inputs on practical challenges, costs and implementation pathways. The workshop had participants discussing matters such as:
- Designing equipment for longer use
- Improvised collection systems for end-of-life products
- Strengthened formal recycling channels
- Encouraging repair and refurbishment markets
The policy approach focuses on shared responsibility across the telecom supply chain. Equipment manufacturers, network operators, service providers and recyclers are expected to play defined roles in ensuring materials are recovered and reused where possible.
The workshop outlined the need for future policy roadmaps and guidelines to scale circular economy practices in telecom.
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Link with the National Telecom Policy 2025
The DoT-UNDP initiative aligns closely with the proposals of the National Telecom Policy 2025. It highlights sustainability as a key pillar and proposes measures to mitigate telecom-related e-waste.
There are extended proposals that obligate manufacturers to introduce recycling, promote reuse of telecom equipment and link device makers to right-to-repair frameworks. These measures are designed to reduce waste while supporting domestic repair and recycling industries.
The knotting of circular economy principles to the National Telecom Policy, is an official signal that sustainability considerations are important for future telecom regulations.
Why telecom e-waste is a growing concern?
India stands among the world’s largest producers of electronic waste, generating over 3.8 million tonnes annually. Telecom equipment contributes majorly to this volume. This majorly includes discarded network gear,mobile devices, routers,cables and batteries
Though extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations have strengthened formal recycling systems in the past few years, a significant share of e-waste still moves through informal channels. This leads to unsafe handling practices and loss of valuable materials. The circular economy model is an initiative to address the existing gaps by:
- Improving traceability
- Increasing recovery rates
- Ensuring environmentally sound recycling
For the telecom sector, this could mean lower raw material dependence and reduced environmental risks over time.
Role of Technology and Innovation
Technology is expected to play a supporting role in implementing circular economy practices. The potential use of tools such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain to track equipment lifecycles and material flows is largely expected. Such systems can help monitor how long equipment is used, where it is deployed and how it is eventually recycled. Improved data visibility is set to align compliance with recycling and sustainability norms.
Innovation in product design, modular equipment and energy-efficient systems is important to make circular practices viable at scale.
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Industry Response and Expectations
Industry participation is very important for this policy’s success. Telecom operators and manufacturers suggest that clear policy signals and predictable frameworks will be important to adopt circular models.
Stakeholders have stressed the need for phased implementation, cost-sharing mechanisms and incentives to encourage refurbishment and recycling. Building domestic recycling capacity and ensuring quality standards were also highlighted as priorities.
“Continued engagement with industry will be used to balance environmental goals with operational and commercial realities”
– Department of Telecom
What Happens Next?
The DoT and UNDP are set to develop actionable roadmaps that translate policy intent into implementable steps. While no deadlines have been defined yet, the circular economy principles will largely outline telecom policymaking as India expands as digital economy.
For the telecom sector, the initiative marks a shift toward viewing sustainability not as a compliance obligation, but as a structural part of long-term growth planning.
