New Delhi, April 26 -- India is moving fast on clean energy. Solar capacity is rising, electric vehicle (EV) sales are climbing and green hydrogen is now part of official strategy. But beneath this momentum sits a less visible constraint in the form of the materials required to build this future. Without reliable access to lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earth elements, India's energy transition risks slowing down.

In early 2025, a series of disruptions exposed how vulnerable these supply chains are. Export restrictions widened across multiple minerals, including rare earth elements and battery metals. The Democratic Republic of Congo, the world's dominant cobalt supplier, temporarily suspended exports to stabilize prices. Meanw...