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BUSINESS & TRADE JUNE 05, 2026 | The Indian Eye 38

CRITICAL MINERALS

India Pushes to Secure the Building

Blocks of the Future Economy

From overseas mining deals to domestic processing plants, India is accelerating its critical
minerals strategy to power manufacturing, clean energy and technological growth.

OUR BUREAU These agreements suggest that
critical minerals are emerging as a
New Delhi / Ottawa
key pillar of international econom-
ndia’s growing focus on crit- ic diplomacy. Nations are increas-
ical minerals reflects a larger ingly forming partnerships not only
Ieconomic transition underway around trade and investment, but
— one that links national resource around securing future technology
security directly to the future of supply chains.
manufacturing, clean energy, tech- India’s expanding engagement
nology and global competitiveness. with Canada further reinforces this
As the world races to secure access trend. During Union Commerce and
to minerals essential for batteries, Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s vis-
semiconductors, renewable energy it to Toronto, Canada’s Minister of
systems and advanced electronics, International Trade Maninder Sidhu
India is attempting to position itself announced a Team Canada Trade
not merely as a consumer market, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma with Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Mission to India later this year. Ac-
but as a strategic player in the global cording to the Ministry of Commerce
supply chain. Reddy during a review meeting in Jaipur (@BhajanlalBjp X/ANI Photo) and Industry, the mission will explore
The government’s latest an- partnerships in sectors including ar-
nouncements suggest that this ef- approach” under the National Crit- ploration highlights a crucial eco- tificial intelligence, critical minerals,
fort is moving from policy intent to ical Mineral Mission, involving co- nomic concern: future industrial nuclear energy, semiconductors, re-
implementation. Union Minister for ordinated efforts by the Ministry of growth could be constrained if In- newable energy and advanced man-
Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy Mines, Ministry of Commerce and dia remains dependent on imported ufacturing.
said India is “on the cusp of achiev- Ministry of Industries. Such coor- minerals controlled by a small num- The choice of sectors is signifi-
ing significant milestones in the crit- dination reflects the understanding ber of global suppliers. In sectors like cant because they represent indus-
ical minerals sector within the next that mineral security is now tied to electric vehicles, semiconductors and tries expected to shape the global
12 months,” according to ANI. His trade policy, industrial policy and battery manufacturing, supply chain economy over the coming decades.
remarks underline how the country geopolitical strategy. disruptions can quickly become eco- Critical minerals sit at the centre of
now views critical minerals not as a One of the most significant de- nomic vulnerabilities. nearly all of them.
narrow mining issue, but as a central velopments has been the auction of India’s strategy therefore ex- Goyal highlighted the “growing
pillar of long-term economic strategy. critical mineral blocks. Reddy stated tends beyond its borders. According complementarities between India
The importance of these min- that “for the first time since Inde- to Reddy, the government has se- and Canada” and stressed the need
erals lies in their role in emerging pendence, a large number of critical cured critical mineral blocks in coun- for a “more robust and predictable
industries. Rare earth elements and mineral blocks were put up for auc- tries such as Argentina to strengthen business ecosystem driven by stron-
strategic minerals are essential for tion this year, and the process has long-term resource security. Over- ger government-industry collabora-
sectors such as electronics, batter- been completed successfully.” The seas asset acquisition reflects an tion.” His remarks suggest that India
ies, renewable energy and advanced statement signals a major policy shift increasingly common global trend, sees mineral partnerships as part of a
manufacturing. As countries shift toward unlocking domestic mineral where countries seek direct access larger strategy to attract investment,
towards electric mobility, clean tech- resources at scale. to mineral reserves abroad to avoid build technological capability and di-
nology and artificial intelligence-driv- The government is also intensi- future supply bottlenecks. versify supply chains.
en industries, access to these miner- fying exploration activities across the The geopolitical dimension is At its core, India’s critical min-
als increasingly determines industrial country. Rajasthan has reportedly equally important. India has signed erals strategy is about preparing for
competitiveness. identified major reserves of critical Memorandums of Understanding a future economy shaped by tech-
India’s approach appears to be minerals, while exploration efforts with several countries, including the nology, energy transition and supply
built around two parallel goals: re- are expanding in eastern India and United States, to strengthen cooper- chain competition. The country’s
ducing strategic dependence on for- other regions. Agencies such as the ation in the critical minerals sector. policymakers increasingly recognise
eign supply chains and creating do- Geological Survey of India (GSI), Reddy said discussions during the that economic power in the coming
mestic industrial capacity for future along with private firms and startups, Prime Minister’s visit to the US and decades may depend as much on ac-
growth sectors. are being encouraged to accelerate subsequent bilateral engagements fo- cess to lithium, cobalt and rare earth
Reddy said the government is the search for mineral reserves. cused on deepening collaboration in elements as previous eras depended
pursuing a “whole-of-government This emphasis on domestic ex- securing strategic mineral resources. on oil and coal.

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