India's Critical Mineral Mission: Securing Security, Energy, Growth

Critical minerals power clean energy, advanced tech, and national security. With rising global demand and fragile supply chains, India is moving strategically to secure these resources, reduce import dependence, and support its low-carbon future.

- TDG NETWORK

CRITICAL MINERALS: THE NEW CURRENCY OF PROGRESS As the world pivots to clean energy and advanced technologies, control over critical minerals has become the new frontier of geopolitics. In January 2025, India responded with the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), launched for a period of seven years from 2024-25 to 2030-31, with a proposed expenditure of Rs.16,300 crore and an expected investment of Rs.18,000 crore by Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and other stakeholders. It is not merely a mining programme, but a strategic blueprint to secure energy security, drive industrial growth, and cement technological independence. From the lithium that powers electric vehicles to the rare earths vital for defense systems, the National Critical Minerals Mission casts its net wide.

WHAT ARE CRITICAL MINERALS Critical minerals are those minerals that are essential for economic development and national security. They are indispensable for clean energy technologies, high-tech electronics, transport, telecommunications and defense. They are vital to power the global transition to a low carbon emissions economy. These are also minerals fraught with supply chain vulnerabilities, hence the necessity for governments to secure their supply chains for such minerals. Countries identify minerals critical for them based on their national priorities. In 2023, the Ministry of Mines released a list of 30 critical minerals for India. These minerals are Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE, Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.