NITI Aayog: India’s Critical Mineral Strategy for Viksit Bharat and Net Zero 2070
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production | SDG 13: Climate Action
National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) | Ministry of Mines | | NITI Aayog
The NITI Aayog report, Scenarios Towards Viksit Bharat and Net Zero - Critical Mineral Assessment mentions that securing a stable supply of Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETMs) is vital for India’s 2047 development and 2070 Net Zero goals.
India’s demand for minerals like copper, lithium, cobalt, and nickel is projected to constitute 9% of global demand by 2050, driven primarily by electric vehicles (EVs) and solar technologies. To address high import dependence and global supply chain risks, the government has launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with an outlay of ₹34,300 crore and amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act to streamline domestic exploration. While recycling and circular economy practices are being scaled to unlock secondary feedstock, primary source diversification through strategic partnerships and international “mineral diplomacy” remains a strategic necessity.
Strategic Pillars for a Robust Critical Mineral Ecosystem The assessment outlines five foundational pillars to ensure India’s strategic autonomy in green technologies:
Strengthening Domestic Exploration: Improving geological data and incentivizing private sector participation to close domestic capacity gaps in mining and processing.
Diversifying International Supply: Strengthening Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) to secure overseas assets and reducing import risks through shared value-chain arrangements with strategic partners.
Scaling Circularity and Refining: Developing advanced technologies to process E-waste and battery scrap, although recycling can only partially meet the surging demand.
Mission-Oriented R&D: Focusing on innovation for niche minerals like scandium and gallium while creating pilot-to-commercial pathways for domestic technology.
Institutional Governance: Establishing a National Critical Raw Material analytical unit to conduct ongoing risk assessments and manage the complex institutional architecture.
What are Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETMs)? Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETMs) are a specific group of minerals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earth elements, that are indispensable for manufacturing clean energy technologies. They are used in the production of high-capacity batteries for electric vehicles, permanent magnets for wind turbines, and silicon-based cells for solar panels. Because these minerals have no viable substitutes for current green tech and are often concentrated in specific geographic regions, securing their supply chain is a matter of national economic and energy security.
Policy Relevance
The NITI Aayog assessment represents a transition from mineral consumption to “Strategic Supply-Chain Sovereignty”. By institutionalizing the NCMM, the Ministry of Mines is creating a proactive framework to insulate India’s green transition from global price volatility and geopolitical supply disruptions.
Strategic Impact:
Enhancing Strategic Autonomy: Reducing reliance on concentrated global supply chains for lithium and REEs protects India’s massive investments in EV manufacturing and solar deployment.
Driving Industrial Innovation: Targeted R&D into mineral refining and recycling technologies positions India as a potential hub for secondary raw material processing in the Global South.
Strengthening Mineral Diplomacy: Utilizing KABIL for long-term offtake agreements ensures that Indian manufacturers have predictable access to the inputs required for the PLI schemes.
Unlocking the Circular Economy: Establishing dedicated collection systems for E-waste can supplement domestic supply, reducing the environmental footprint of primary mining.
Follow the full report here: NITI Aayog: Scenarios Towards Viksit Bharat and Net Zero - Critical Minerals