{"id":357281,"date":"2026-03-06T18:18:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T12:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=357281"},"modified":"2026-03-08T15:34:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T10:04:40","slug":"strategy-to-secure-critical-minerals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/strategy-to-secure-critical-minerals\/","title":{"rendered":"Strategy to secure critical minerals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: <\/strong>The post \u201cStrategy to secure critical minerals\u201d <\/strong>has been created, based on “Strategy to secure critical minerals\u201d <\/strong>published in \u201cBusinessLine\u201d on\u00a0 6 March 2026. Strategy to secure critical minerals.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Strategy<\/p>\n

UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Science and technology<\/strong><\/p>\n

Context: <\/strong>Critical minerals such as Lithium, Cobalt, Copper and Rare Earth Elements<\/strong> are essential for clean energy technologies, artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced electronics, and defence systems. The rapid expansion of the green transition and AI-driven industries has significantly increased the global demand for these minerals. However, the supply chains are concentrated in a few countries, especially China<\/strong>, which creates strategic vulnerabilities for India<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Importance of Securing Critical Minerals for India<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Critical minerals are essential for manufacturing renewable energy technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries.<\/li>\n
  2. Securing these minerals is necessary for achieving India\u2019s climate commitments and net-zero emission targets.<\/li>\n
  3. Critical minerals are widely used in artificial intelligence hardware, semiconductors, and advanced electronic devices, which are vital for technological advancement.<\/li>\n
  4. Many defence technologies such as missiles, radar systems, and advanced aerospace equipment depend on these minerals, making them crucial for national security.<\/li>\n
  5. A secure supply of critical minerals can support India\u2019s industrial growth, manufacturing competitiveness, and economic development.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. The National Critical Mineral Mission<\/strong> aims to strengthen exploration, mining, and processing of critical minerals with an outlay of \u20b934,000 crore over seven years.<\/li>\n
    2. The government has proposed the development of rare earth corridors to create integrated mining-to-processing value chains.<\/li>\n
    3. The Union Budget has provided exemption from Basic Customs Duty on capital goods used for processing critical minerals to encourage investment.<\/li>\n
    4. India is also securing overseas mineral assets through Khanij Bidesh India Limited<\/strong> partnerships with countries such as Australia, Argentina, and Chile.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Challenges in India\u2019s Critical Mineral Sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. The global supply of critical minerals is highly concentrated in a few countries, particularly China, which dominates mining and refining activities.<\/li>\n
      2. India currently lacks large-scale commercially viable refining and downstream processing facilities for critical minerals.<\/li>\n
      3. Exploration, mining, and refining projects require large capital investments and have long gestation periods.<\/li>\n
      4. Global prices and demand for critical minerals are highly volatile, which discourages private sector investments.<\/li>\n
      5. Mining activities often lead to environmental degradation and social conflicts with local communities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Strategies to Strengthen India\u2019s Critical Mineral Supply Chain<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. The government should invest in developing domestic mining and refining infrastructure to create a complete value chain within the country.<\/li>\n
        2. Policy incentives such as concessional loans, production tax credits, and financial support for refinery construction should be provided to attract private sector investment.<\/li>\n
        3. The government can introduce revenue stabilization mechanisms such as contracts for difference and demand guarantees to reduce investment risks.<\/li>\n
        4. Artificial intelligence-based geological exploration should be promoted to improve mineral discovery rates and reduce exploration costs.<\/li>\n
        5. India should strengthen international partnerships and acquire mineral assets abroad to diversify supply sources.<\/li>\n
        6. Local communities should be encouraged to participate as stakeholders or co-investors in mining projects to ensure social acceptance.<\/li>\n
        7. Strong environmental and social safeguards should be implemented to ensure sustainable and responsible mining practices.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Conclusion: <\/strong>Securing critical minerals is essential for India\u2019s green transition, technological advancement, and strategic autonomy. A coordinated approach involving government support, private sector participation, technological innovation, and international cooperation will be crucial for building a resilient and sustainable critical mineral supply chain.<\/p>\n

          Question: <\/strong>Discuss the importance of securing critical minerals for India and suggest strategies to strengthen India\u2019s critical mineral supply chain.<\/p>\n

          Source: BusinessLine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Source: The post \u201cStrategy to secure critical minerals\u201d has been created, based on “Strategy to secure critical minerals\u201d published in \u201cBusinessLine\u201d on\u00a0 6 March 2026. Strategy to secure critical minerals. UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Science and technology Context: Critical minerals such as Lithium, Cobalt, Copper and Rare Earth Elements are essential for clean energy technologies, artificial… Continue reading Strategy to secure critical minerals<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":357513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[12121,216,242],"class_list":["post-357281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-businessline","tag-gs-paper-3","tag-science-and-technology","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Strategy-to-secure-critical-minerals.png?fit=1280%2C850&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/357513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}