India has released its first critical minerals list, identifying 30 materials that are key to its economic growth and technological development.
The critical minerals list, formulated by the Ministry of Mines, includes a range of minerals considered essential for key industries such as defence, electronics, and renewable energy. The ministry will be revisiting the critical mineral list periodically, according to Union Mines Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj. Meanwhile, Pralhad Joshi, the Minister for Coal and Mines, highlighted plans to bring out a policy framework for exploration, processing, use and recycling of critical minerals.
The list is the latest move to suggest that India is taking critical materials more seriously. Earlier in June, India entered into the US-led Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), a transnational association whose members seek to secure a stable supply of raw materials for their economies. Other MSP members are Australia, Canada, the EU, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. India has also signed a Critical Minerals Investment Partnership with Australia, as the two partners work towards investment in critical minerals projects to develop supply chains between the two countries.
India is a key producer of several critical materials including bauxite, chromium, graphite, iron ore, lead, manganese, REEs, and silicon. However, it is heavily dependent on imports for a much broader range of materials.
At COP26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a target for the country to achieve net zero by 2070. The following year at COP27, India submitted its first long-term strategy for low-carbon development, providing strategic direction for the economy and individual sectors in support of previously announced and submitted targets.
The full list is as follows:
1. Antimony
2. Beryllium
3. Bismuth
4. Cadmium
5. Cobalt
6. Copper
7. Gallium
8. Germanium
9. Graphite
10. Hafnium
11. Indium
12. Lithium
13. Molybdenum
14. Niobium
15. Nickel
16. PGMs
17. Phosphorous
18. Potash
19. REEs
20. Rhenium
21. Selenium
22. Silicon
23. Strontium
24. Tantalum
25. Tellurium
26. Tin
27. Titanium
28. Tungsten
29. Vanadium
30. Zirconium