New Delhi, Oct. 27 -- India's growth story is usually told through shining malls, humming tech parks, and a digital economy that touches every household. But there's another narrative unfolding quietly in the shadows - the story of what we throw away. Mountains of obsolete phones, laptops, spent lithium-ion batteries, and discarded devices rich in rare earth elements pile up each year, feeding an informal economy of kabadiwalas and backroom smelters. It is an industry worth billions, but one that exacts a brutal cost: toxic fumes, wasted metals, and unsafe working conditions.

Back in 2008, there was no real formal concept of e-waste recycling in India - the issue was largely unrecognised in policy and public imagination, and most electro...