Why India is in a rare minerals scramble
India is moving fast to lock down the rare minerals needed for things like EVs, clean energy, and tech gadgets.
Even though the country has huge reserves of rare earth elements, it barely makes a dent globally because most deposits are low-grade and processing is limited.
With China tightening exports, India's supply chains—especially for electric vehicles—feel pretty exposed.
National Critical Minerals Mission
To tackle this, India launched the National Critical Minerals Mission in 2023 with a hefty ₹34,300 crore ($4 billion) budget.
The goal? Ramp up exploration and mining while also recycling valuable minerals from waste.
The Geological Survey of India wants to finish 1,200 exploration projects by 2030.
There's also a ₹1,500 crore push to recover minerals like scandium from stuff we usually throw away.
Partnerships and incentives
India isn't going solo—it's building partnerships with countries like Australia and Argentina and joining global groups like the US-led Minerals Security Partnership.
These moves help diversify where we get our minerals and bring in new tech through joint ventures.
Plus, local incentives are encouraging rare earth magnet manufacturing at home—all part of making sure India can power its own green future without relying too much on others.