Critical Minerals Policy Near Completion; Processing Parks Planned in Four States
What Happened
The government is expected to announce a policy on stockpiling critical minerals within the next month, according to Keshav Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Mines. The policy aims to build reserves of critical minerals needed by strategic sectors such as defence, aerospace and advanced electronics. The government is also developing four dedicated critical minerals processing parks in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to speed up value addition for key battery materials.
Key Takeaways
Critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earth elements are essential for electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy infrastructure and advanced technologies. The proposed stockpiling policy and processing parks are part of India's broader strategy to strengthen supply-chain security and support the clean-energy transition.