India's Need for Strategic Minerals - 2019

Mining & Minerals - Evaluations / Critical Mineral Resources

Ajey Lele reported in 2019 that an assured supply of critical and strategic minerals is vital for the defense and security of India as well as its transition to a more advanced low fossil fuel-based industrial economy. The space industry, electronics, information technology and communications, the energy sector, electric batteries, the nuclear industry among others are all significantly dependent on various critical minerals and rare earths.

India is a mineral-rich country and availability of most minerals should not be an issue. However, the real challenge is that of excavation, processing, research, and investments. The strategic mineral sector in particular and the mining sector in general is expected to face difficulties in meeting the growing demand in vital sectors in the coming years. Import dependency for strategic minerals is one of the most obvious challenges. Besides expanding prospecting and improved processing, India also needs to significantly increase the research focus in all relevant areas of technology and to undertake research on recycling of minerals and finding the correct substitutes. The role of the private sector in mining and the minerals sector also needs to increase. 

The author concluded that the role of the private sector in mining and the minerals sector will increase in the years to come. There is a need to increase the research focus in all relevant areas of technology and to undertake research on recycling of minerals and finding the correct substitutes (device material substitution strategies).Effort should be made to reduce the import dependency of technologies too. Unfortunately, geological and material sciences are not popular areas of research in India. Industry would require not only modern technology but also trained manpower. As a way forward, it is important to evolve an ecosystem involving government agencies, public sector undertakings, private industry and educational organizations.