India produces about 400,000 tonnes of electronic waste each year, growing exponentially. Handling this is a great challenge. What adds to it is the fact that the country is one of the lead importers of all kinds of waste hazardous included. Almost all of this is recycled or scrapped by the unorganized sector using the most rudimentary methods that pollute. Our reporters found a thriving illegal trade and dangerous working conditions. The environment ministry's answer has been to grant its first and only licence to import e-waste to a company called Attero Recycling to encourage its Roorkee plant, which it calls a model. Our reporters found Attero reselling e-waste instead of recycling it. The ministry's regulatory attempts do not recognize the small players who actually recycle e-waste, found out Ruhi Kandhari, Jyotika Sood and photographer Sayantan Bera