Mumbai, Sept. 2 -- Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey said at an industry roadshow in Raipur that India has made continuous efforts to become self-reliant in critical minerals to secure domestic industrial and clean energy supply chains. The roadshow was intended to connect state authorities with industry leaders to address operational and technical aspects. The event facilitated dialogue between entrepreneurs and officials to explain technical matters.
The engagement comes against the backdrop of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), introduced for a seven-year period from 2024-25 to 2030-31, which carries a proposed expenditure of Rs 163 bn and an expected investment of Rs 180 bn from public sector undertakings and other stakeholders. The mission follows the identification of 30 critical minerals by the Ministry of Mines and the list includes lithium, cobalt, copper, graphite, rare earth elements and other inputs vital for clean energy technologies. Officials said the measures aim to reduce import dependence by complementing primary extraction with enhanced secondary recycling.
To support domestic recycling capacity the Union Cabinet approved a Rs 15 bn incentive scheme under the NCMM that targets secondary sources such as electronic waste, scrap from lithium-ion batteries and parts from end-of-life vehicles. The programme is designed to support both emerging and existing recycling units and to create a 270,000 tonne (t) annual recycling capacity and domestic production of 40,000 tonne (t) of critical minerals. The framework is expected to attract about Rs 80 bn in investments and to generate an estimated 70,000 jobs.
Securing steady supplies of critical minerals is presented as essential to meet broader national climate targets including lowering the emissions intensity of gross domestic product by 45 per cent by 2030 compared with 2005 levels and obtaining half of electric power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030. The mission is framed as a long-term effort to support industrial resilience and clean energy transitions while fostering investment and employment. Government officials characterised the roadshow as a practical step to align state and industry action on technical and operational challenges.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.