- India's EV transition currently focuses heavily on adoption and battery recycling, often overlooking the critical 'reuse' principle (second-life applications). - Second-life applications for EV batteries (such as stationary energy storage for renewable grids or telecom towers) can extract maximum value before recycling. - Regulatory frameworks like the Battery Waste Management Rules need stronger integration and incentives for secondary use markets. - Lack of standardization across EV battery packs, diagnostic data opacity, and ownership models hinder second-life deployment. **Introduction** The article examines India's electric vehicle (EV) journey, highlighting a critical gap: the neglect of the 'reuse' principle for EV batteries in favor of immediate recycling or disposal. It discusses how second-life applications of EV batteries can bolster clean energy storage, reduce environmental footprints, and create a circular economy, provided policy frameworks and standardization improve. **Core Issue and Detailed Points** - India's EV transition currently focuses heavily on adoption and battery recycling, often overlooking the critical 'reuse' principle (second-life applications). - Second-life applications for EV batteries (such as stationary energy storage for renewable grids or telecom towers) can extract maximum value before recycling. - Regulatory frameworks like the Battery Waste Management Rules need stronger integration and incentives for secondary use markets. - Lack of standardization across EV battery packs, diagnostic data opacity, and ownership models hinder second-life deployment.