India identifies 30 critical minerals to push for low-carbon economy

India identifies 30 critical minerals to push for a low carbon emission economy

The Indian government has identified 30 critical minerals including lithium, cobalt and copper, stating that the listed minerals are essential for the country’s economic development and national security.

Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi unveiled India’s first-ever report on critical minerals on June 28, prepared by an expert team constituted by the Ministry of Mines.

The 30 minerals listed by the government include 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.

Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Mines said that international commitments towards reducing carbon emissions require the country to urgently relook at its mineral requirements for energy transition and net-zero commitments. The ministry will be revisiting the critical mineral list periodically, he added.

“The future global economy will be underpinned by technologies that depend on minerals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, titanium, and rare earth elements. These are essential for the advancement of many sectors, including hightech electronics, telecommunications, transport, and defence,” the report titled Critical Minerals for India stated.

It said the critical minerals are also vital to power the global transition to a low carbon emissions economy, and the renewable energy technologies that will be required to meet the ‘Net Zero’ commitments of an increasing number of countries around the world.

“Hence, it has become imperative to identify and develop value chains for the minerals which are critical to our country,” the report added.

Coal Minister Joshi said that at present Geological Survey of India (GSI) is more focussed on exploration of critical and deep-seated minerals to provide further fillip to the growth of the country’s mining sector.

The government said the compiled list of critical minerals is designed to identify and prioritise minerals that are essential for various industrial sectors.

“The list will serve as a guiding framework for policy formulation, strategic planning and investment decisions in the mining sector. This initiative aligns with the larger vision of achieving ‘Net Zero’ target for India through the government's commitment to creating a robust and resilient mineral sector,” the government said in a press release.