The rules that apply
Imports of waste tyres into India are governed by the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, made under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) administers them, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards.
Only actual users may import
Waste tyres are listed in Part B of Schedule III of the rules. They may be imported only by an actual user: a unit that will itself recycle or recover the material. The importer needs permission from MoEFCC and a licence from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) where applicable.
CPCB's standard operating procedures for recycling units list what an actual user must hold, including a valid consent to establish and consent to operate from the State Pollution Control Board, fire safety clearance, and an Importer Exporter Code (IEC).
Sources: Press Information Bureau, Government of India (21 August 2025); Central Pollution Control Board, SOPs for recycling.
Permitted uses
Imported waste tyres are allowed for recycling and recovery, producing:
- Crumb rubber
- Reclaim rubber
- Crumb rubber modified bitumen
- Recovered carbon black
What is not allowed
- Pyrolysis: importing waste tyres to produce pyrolysis oil or char is prohibited.
- Disposal: importing hazardous and other wastes for disposal in India is not permitted.
CPCB runs the Waste Tyre EPR portal partly to make sure imported tyres are not diverted to pyrolysis oil production.
EPR for importers
An importer of waste tyres registers on the CPCB portal as both a producer and a recycler, and carries an EPR obligation equal to 100% of the waste tyres it imported in the previous year. Our guide to EPR for waste tyres explains the system.
Source: Central Pollution Control Board, Waste Tyre EPR FAQ.
How much India imports
Waste tyre imports into India rose from about 264,000 tonnes in FY 2021 to 1.4 million tonnes in FY 2024, according to NITI Aayog. In FY 2024 India recycled about 3 million tonnes of waste tyres, of which 1.6 million tonnes were collected at home and 1.4 million tonnes were imported.
Source: NITI Aayog, Government of India (2026).
What this means for suppliers
If you supply tyre scrap to India, work with a buyer that is an actual user and recycles the tyres itself. At Krishna Exports, every tyre we buy goes to mechanical recycling at our own plants, into rubber chips, granules and crumb. Nothing is burned.
This guide is general information drawn from Government of India sources, not legal advice. Rules change; check the current position with MoEFCC and CPCB.
For tyre suppliers
Quick answers on importing waste tyres into India.
Who can import waste tyres into India?
Only actual users. Waste tyres are listed in Part B of Schedule III of the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016, and may be imported by an actual user with permission from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and a DGFT licence where applicable.
Can waste tyres be imported into India for pyrolysis?
No. Importing waste tyres to produce pyrolysis oil or char is prohibited. Imported waste tyres must go to recycling or recovery such as reclaim rubber, crumb rubber, crumb rubber modified bitumen and recovered carbon black.
Can waste tyres be imported into India for disposal?
No. Importing hazardous and other wastes for disposal in India is not permitted.
What forms of tyre scrap does Krishna Exports buy?
Passenger car (PCR) and truck and bus (TBR) tyres as whole tyres in bales, multiple-cut and three-piece tyres, and shreds. See our sourcing page.
Got used tyres? We buy.
PCR and TBR tyres in bales, cuts or shreds, from across India and around the world.