Exclusive: Commercial mining of lithium, 5 more minerals gets Cabinet nod

The proposed amendments will remove these six minerals from the so-called Atomic Minerals list.

The Union Cabinet on July 12 approved amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act to allow commercial mining of lithium and five more minerals, said sources aware of the development.

These minerals - lithium, beryllium, titanium, niobium, tantalum and zirconium - have uses in the spacetech industry, electronics, communications and will also help in India's energy transition.

The country is dependent on imports for most of these minerals as existing laws prevent their commercial exploration and mining. The proposed amendments will remove these six minerals from the so-called Atomic Minerals list. They also empower the central government to auction mineral concessions and introduce exploration licences.

Demand of minerals like lithium is likely to increase manifold as the focus shifts towards clean energy and meeting India's net-zero emission commitment.