On April 29th, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Mines and the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation during the ‘Critical Minerals Summit: Enhancing Beneficiation and Processing Capabilities’ held in New Delhi to initiate a partnership aimed at sharing knowledge regarding Critical Minerals that are crucial for India’s economic development, national security, and low-carbon energy transition. The partners in the MoU are the Ministry of Mines, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and TERI.
The ostentatious occasion was inaugurated by Mr. VL Kantha Rao (1992 batch IAS officer), the incumbent secretary of Mines, who also presided over the meeting. Officer Rao, during his speech, upheld India’s urgent need for robust exploration and utilization of critical minerals to support the country’s rapid economic growth and clean energy aspirations. He further highlighted the initiatives taken by the union government, including mineral block auctions, to accelerate domestic mineral exploration and production.
Secretary Rao said, “Now is the time when we need to crystallise all this into a single document and call it a critical mineral policy or mission. We plan to look for critical minerals under the earth, under the sea, but we badly need them. The market for critical minerals is going to be the fourth-largest, and we need to look for them within the country. We need to also ensure that we have good tie-ups internationally and we have a good supply chain uninterrupted from wherever we are getting these critical minerals.”
Another eminent official at the event, Dr. Veena Kumari D (1998 batch IPoS officer), the incumbent Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Mines, observed the need for efficient processing technologies amidst global policy uncertainties. She underscored India’s potential as a leading player in electric vehicles, energy storage technologies, and other critical sectors, stressing the importance of nurturing a robust domestic supply chain.
The goal of this two-day summit held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi is crisp and clear: To position India as a global hub for critical mineral processing, thereby supporting the nation’s ambitions of becoming a self-reliant and globally competitive player in the critical minerals arena.
