India working on self-reliance in energy sector

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India has been working in a mission mode to achieve self-reliance across many areas within the energy sector, including launch of a new National Deepwater Mission for oil and gas exploration and production, scouting for critical minerals in new areas, and opening up the nuclear energy sector for private players.

- SUDHEER PAL SINGH

"The world has also become very alert on critical minerals and people have understood its importance in areas like defence and economic growth. So, we have launched a National Critical Minerals Mission under which we are exploring for minerals across many areas," he said, while alluding to the ongoing rare earth magnets crunch. He said the country was now dependent on many other nations for costly oil and gas imports and that money could have been used for fighting poverty and strengthening the farmers.