Thirty Critical Minerals List Released

Source: The post is based on the article “Thirty Critical Minerals List Released”  published in PIB on 24th July 2023.

What is the News?

The Government of India has released a list of 30 critical minerals for India. 

What are Critical Minerals?

These are minerals that are essential for economic development and national security, and the lack of availability of these minerals or the concentration of extraction or processing in a few geographical locations could potentially lead to supply chain vulnerabilities and even disruption of supplies.

What are the 30 critical minerals list released by the government of India?

The 30 critical minerals are Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE, Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.

What are the other steps taken by the government of India for critical minerals?

The Geological Survey of India, an attached office of Ministry of Mines has carried out a G3 stage mineral exploration (fairly advanced) during Field Season 2020-21 and 2021-22 in Salal-Haimna areas of Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir and estimated an inferred resource of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium ore.

A joint venture company namely Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) has been incorporated with the equity contribution from three Central Public Sector Enterprises namely, National Aluminum Company Ltd, Hindustan Copper Ltd and Mineral Exploration Company Ltd.

– The objective of KABIL is to identify and acquire overseas mineral assets of critical & strategic nature such as Lithium, Cobalt & others so as to ensure supply side assurance. KABIL has engagements with countries like Argentina, Australia etc. to acquire critical & strategic minerals assets.

India has recently been inducted into the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), a US-led collaboration of 14 countries that aims to catalyze public and private investment in critical mineral supply chains globally.