E-Waste explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 have been amended four times and the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 five times. This article lists each amendment by date and number, with the official title as the notification itself gives it, and what its own text changed. Dates and numbers matter here, because several notifications carry similar names.
The E-Waste Rules are current as amended up to the E-Waste (Management) Second Amendment Rules, 2024 (G.S.R. 699(E), 12 November 2024). The Battery Rules are current as amended up to S.O. 958(E) dated 24 February 2025. Later amendments, CPCB guidelines and notifications should be checked. If you need to know which version of a rule applied to a past return or certificate, our compliance advisory team can reconstruct it.
E-Waste: G.S.R. 61(E) (30 January 2023), G.S.R. 534(E) (24 July 2023, refrigerants and Schedules II-A to II-C), G.S.R. 164(E) (8 March 2024, relaxation of timelines and price band) and G.S.R. 699(E) (12 November 2024, rule 23 penalty). Battery: S.O. 4669(E) (25 October 2023, the big reshaping), G.S.R. 190(E), S.O. 2374(E), S.O. 5210(E) (3 December 2024, rule 13 penalty) and S.O. 958(E) (24 February 2025, QR code).
E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022: four amendments
The principal Rules were notified by G.S.R. 801(E) on 2 November 2022 and came into force on 1 April 2023.
| No. | Notification and date | Official title | What it changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G.S.R. 61(E), 30 January 2023 | E-Waste (Management) Amendment Rules, 2023 | Rule 16(5): the declaration of conformance is to be given "as and when required by the Central Pollution Control Board"; Schedule II entries 36 (cadmium and lead in solar panels, cells and modules) and 37 (lead in medical devices) inserted |
| 2 | G.S.R. 534(E), 24 July 2023 | E-Waste (Management) Second Amendment Rules, 2023 | Refrigerant destruction duties in rules 5(4), 7(5) and 9(11); rule 14(1)(ii)(c) on multiple end products; rule 16(2), (2A) and (2B) exemptions; entry 37 of Schedule II omitted and Schedules II-A, II-B and II-C inserted |
| 3 | G.S.R. 164(E), 8 March 2024 | E-Waste (Management) Amendment Rules, 2024 | Rule 3(f) "dismantler" substituted; rule 9A (relaxation of timelines for returns up to nine months); rule 15(7) to (10): trading platform and the price band at hundred per cent and thirty per cent of the compensation under rule 22 |
| 4 | G.S.R. 699(E), 12 November 2024 | E-Waste (Management) Second Amendment Rules, 2024 | Rule 23 substituted: "Action for contravention", liability to a penalty in accordance with section 15 of the Act |
A note on the numbering
The notification of 8 March 2024 (G.S.R. 164(E)) is titled the "Amendment Rules, 2024" and the notification of 12 November 2024 (G.S.R. 699(E)) the "Second Amendment Rules, 2024". Some listings number them differently, for example calling G.S.R. 164(E) a "third amendment" or G.S.R. 699(E) the "third" amendment, counting from the notifications of 2023. The title printed in the gazette is the one to cite. The rule content is explained in rules 1 to 3 and rules 13 to 15.
Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022: five amendments
The principal Rules were notified by S.O. 3984(E) on 22 August 2022 and came into force on publication. Later notifications' notes print the date as 24 August 2022; the notification itself is dated the 22nd.
| No. | Notification and date | Official title | What it changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S.O. 4669(E), 25 October 2023 | Battery Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2023 | Definitions of "battery" and "producer" (new limb (iv)); rule 4 sub-rules (1), (2), (2A), (4) to (7), (6A) and (16) (registration valid until cancelled or withdrawn; returns; self-use; sustainable production); rules 8(4), 9(4) and (5); rule 10 (certificate basis, sub-rules (4), (5) omitted, (7) to (9) substituted, trading platform in (15) to (17)); rule 11 (deemed registration, validity until cancelled, guidelines, annual report); rule 14(6) (nine months' relaxation); rule 15(6) (Committee meets once in six months); Schedule I paragraph 1(ii) (cadmium) and paragraph 2(ia) (EPR registration number marking by 31 March 2025); Schedule II clauses (v), (x) and (xii); Forms 1(A), 1(B) and 1(C) |
| 2 | G.S.R. 190(E), 14 March 2024 | Battery Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024 | Rule 10(17) price band at hundred per cent and thirty per cent of compensation, and new (18) on exchange price; rule 13(3) substituted (CPCB prepares guidelines on compensation and submits them to the Ministry for concurrence); Schedule II carry-forward wording changed to "up to 60% of the remaining quantity" |
| 3 | S.O. 2374(E), 20 June 2024 | Battery Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2024 | Rule 4(14) Table of minimum recycled content substituted, with all four battery types in the same year columns from 2027-2028 |
| 4 | S.O. 5210(E), 3 December 2024 | No short title in the gazette; cited as the notification S.O. 5210(E) | Rule 13(2) omitted; rule 13(9) substituted: liability to a penalty in accordance with section 15 of the Act |
| 5 | S.O. 958(E), 24 February 2025 | Battery Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2025 | Schedule I paragraph 2: proviso to (ia) for packaging under rule 26 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011; new (ib) allowing a barcode or QR code with the EPR registration number, with written intimation to the CPCB; proviso to (v) removing the Cd or Pb marking at or below stated concentrations |
The Battery Rules have no official consolidated text, so all five notifications must be read together. The rule content is explained in rules 1 to 3 and rules 13 to 15 and the Schedules.
What the two sets have in common
- Penalty. Both E-Waste rule 23 (12 November 2024) and Battery rule 13(9) (3 December 2024) now point to section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, after the decriminalisation changes in the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 that the notifications recite. See sections 15 to 15B of the EP Act.
- Price band. Both added the certificate price band at hundred per cent and thirty per cent of compensation in 2024.
- Timeline relaxation. Both allow the Central Government to relax return dates by up to nine months, E-Waste by rule 9A and Battery by rule 14(6).
Who is affected
Producers, importers and brand owners of electronics and batteries, recyclers, refurbishers and collectors, and advisers handling certificates, returns and notices that span more than one amendment.
Example
Volta Recyclers Private Limited reviews a 2023 battery certificate. It finds that the certificate rules in rule 10 changed on 25 October 2023, that the price band arrived on 14 March 2024 and that the carry-forward wording in Schedule II changed on the same day. It records, for each transaction, the notification in force on the transaction date.
Need help reading the amendment trail?
When certificates, returns and registrations cross amendment dates, the file should show which text applied. Our compliance advisory team can help you prepare that record.
Key takeaways
- E-Waste: four amendments, 30 January 2023 to 12 November 2024; Battery: five, 25 October 2023 to 24 February 2025.
- Cite the gazette title; G.S.R. 164(E) is the "Amendment Rules, 2024" and G.S.R. 699(E) the "Second Amendment Rules, 2024".
- The Battery notification S.O. 5210(E) has no short title.
- Both sets moved penalty to section 15 of the Act in late 2024.
- The Battery Rules need all five notifications read together, including S.O. 2374(E) and S.O. 5210(E).
Read next
- Rules 1 to 3 of the E-Waste Rules: application and definitions
- Rules 13 to 15 of the E-Waste Rules: EPR targets, certificates and price band
- Rules 1 to 3 of the Battery Rules: application and definitions
- Rules 13 to 15 and Schedules of the Battery Rules
Disclaimer: Based on the environment rules, guidelines and notifications named above as published in the Gazette of India, read with every amendment notified up to 3 October 2026 that the article names (consolidated reading texts from the CPCB 2021 compilation and the Goa State Pollution Control Board 2025 compilation were checked against the amending notifications), as consulted on 3 October 2026. Later amendments, CPCB guidelines, State Board orders and fees should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.