Overview

• Launched by the Government of India in 2025.
• Total outlay of ₹34,300 crore for a period of seven years.
• Designed to build a secure, self-reliant and resilient critical mineral ecosystem.
• Anchored by the Ministry of Mines.

Objectives

• Secure India’s critical mineral supply chain from domestic and overseas sources.
• Strengthen the entire value chain from exploration to recycling.
• Promote technological innovation and global competitiveness.
• Encourage private sector participation and international partnerships.
• Reduce import dependence in strategically important minerals.

Key Components

Domestic Exploration and Production

• Intensified exploration in onshore and offshore areas.
• Expansion of mining and beneficiation capacity.
• Creation of strategic stockpiles of critical minerals.

Overseas Asset Acquisition

• Encourage Indian PSUs and private firms to acquire mineral assets abroad.
• Diversify supply sources through partnerships with resource-rich countries.

Processing and Recycling

• Establish mineral processing parks.
• Promote recycling from e-waste, battery scrap and industrial waste.
• Support circular economy approaches in mineral usage.

Research and Technology

• Establish a Centre of Excellence on Critical Minerals.
• Promote R&D in extraction, refining and substitution technologies.
• Encourage innovation in battery and advanced material technologies.

Human Resource Development

• Specialised skill development programmes.
• Academic–industry collaboration in mineral technologies.

Financial and Regulatory Support

• Fiscal incentives for exploration and mining.
• Streamlined regulatory approvals.
• Improved access to funding and risk-sharing mechanisms.

Meaning of Critical Minerals

• Minerals essential for economic development, national security and clean energy transition.
• Characterised by high supply risk due to import dependence or geopolitical concentration.
• In 2023, India identified 30 critical minerals including lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, graphite, copper and others.

Strategic Importance

Clean Energy Transition

• Solar power relies on silicon, tellurium, indium and gallium.
• Wind energy depends on rare earth elements for turbine magnets.
• Energy storage systems require lithium, cobalt and nickel.

Electric Mobility

• Lithium-ion batteries are central to EV expansion.
• Critical minerals are vital for battery manufacturing and grid storage.

National Security

• Used in defence electronics, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.
• Supply disruptions can affect strategic sectors.

Link with Climate Goals

• Supports India’s target of reducing emissions intensity by 45 percent by 2030.
• Contributes to achieving 50 percent non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030.
• Critical for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

Conclusion

The National Critical Mineral Mission represents a strategic shift toward securing mineral resources essential for clean energy, industrial growth and national security. By strengthening domestic production, promoting recycling and expanding global partnerships, India aims to build a resilient and future-ready critical mineral ecosystem.