Cabinet approves National Critical Mineral Mission

The Mission will seek to increase exploration in India, reduce import dependence, acquire mineral blocks, process and recycle these minerals.

The Union cabinet has approved the National Critical Mineral Mission to establish an effective framework to make India self-reliant in the space, which is key for the renewable energy sector, particularly solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles.

The 24 minerals include Beryl, Cobalt, Cadmium, Lithium, Graphite, Nickel, Selenium, among others. (Official image.)

These 24 minerals include Beryl, Cobalt, Cadmium, Lithium, Graphite, Nickel, Selenium, among others.

The critical minerals are also important for other industries such as electronics, telecommunications, transport, etc. Union railways, IT and I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said these minerals are also key for defence, aerospace and agriculture sectors.

The Mission will seek to increase exploration in India, reduce import dependence, acquire mineral blocks, process and recycle these minerals, the government said.

The government is expected to set aside ₹16,300 crore for this mission and the total investment from public sector undertakings (PSUs) and other companies is expected to touch ₹18,000 crore.

Exploration of these critical minerals will be promoted in a way that it can be carried out by notified private exploration agencies, along with the PSUs, the government added.

“We can't accept the export of raw materials and import of finished products. Value addition has to happen here, in India,” PM Modi said at Odisha business summit.

While Tata steel has announced plans to expand the capacity of its three existing plants — Neelachal Ispat Nigam, Kalinganagar and Bhushan, the Adani Group has committed to invest ₹2.3 lakh crore in Odisha over the next five years across sectors such as power, cement, industrial parks, aluminium and city gas.