Abstract India needs critical metals/minerals, which are the fundamental ingredients for its green energy transition and security, besides economic growth, technological leadership, and strategic autonomy. This review outlines the global perspective on critical minerals, followed by a comprehensive discussion of the Indian scenario. It entails the significant metal/mineral potential of thirty (30) critical metals identified by an expert GOI committee as essential to achieve the mentioned goals and includes those with high economic importance and supply risk, such as rare earth elements (REE), Li, Co, Ni, platinum group elements (PGE), and graphite, amongst others. In addition to land resources, the marine mineral potential is also described and discussed in detail. To achieve strategic autonomy in critical minerals, there is a great need to enhance the country’s exploration efforts by strengthening geophysical and geochemical laboratories of both government and private exploration agencies through deployment of state-of-the-art analytical equipment, including portable analytical tools, and related infrastructural facilities with sufficient skilled manpower. It is necessary to boost exploration efforts in a big way by using advanced exploration techniques, including land, drone, and satellite-based hyperspectral and multispectral remote sensing techniques, in addition to the traditional methods. India needs to modernise and transform its mining sector by adopting modern concepts like in-situ recovery, which helps minimise environmental and social impacts. Critical minerals are more about chemistry and process engineering than about reserves and mining. With a lack of middle-of-the-chain expertise and infrastructure, we may remain import-dependent even with good mineral reserves. It is necessary, therefore, to adopt eco-friendly extraction methods for critical metals that appropriately tackle environmental problems and accelerate technology development in this sector with advanced tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. For a better mining and extraction environment in the country, investor-friendly policies have to be in place. Urban mining and processing of electronic equipments and Li-ion batteries also need to be expedited as several national laboratories have developed capabilities of recovering some critical minerals or metals. Research highlights <UnorderedList Mark="Bullet"> <ItemContent> Achieving strategic autonomy in critical minerals requires India to transition from basic mapping to discovery-led, technology-driven exploration. </ItemContent> <ItemContent> India must execute a nationwide mandate to deploy advanced analytical tools, upgrade testing infrastructure, and update the technical workforce. </ItemContent> <ItemContent> Boosting exploration efforts with a combination of land, drone, and satellite-based hyperspectral and multispectral remote sensing. </ItemContent> <ItemContent> Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming mining and other industrial processes by mitigating environmental footprints. </ItemContent> <ItemContent> The real challenge is not only to enhance critical mineral reserves but also to get rid of processing dependency by tackling the real choke point in the middle of the chain involving chemistry and process engineering. </ItemContent> </UnorderedList>

Critical minerals/metals: global perspective, Indian scenario, a possible roadmap and future strategy

期刊论文
发表日期：

2026年7月23日

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V Balaram,
Mihir Deb

摘要

Abstract

India needs critical metals/minerals, which are the fundamental ingredients for its green energy transition and security, besides economic growth, technological leadership, and strategic autonomy. This review outlines the global perspective on critical minerals, followed by a comprehensive discussion of the Indian scenario. It entails the significant metal/mineral potential of thirty (30) critical metals identified by an expert GOI committee as essential to achieve the mentioned goals and includes those with high economic importance and supply risk, such as rare earth elements (REE), Li, Co, Ni, platinum group elements (PGE), and graphite, amongst others. In addition to land resources, the marine mineral potential is also described and discussed in detail. To achieve strategic autonomy in critical minerals, there is a great need to enhance the country’s exploration efforts by strengthening geophysical and geochemical laboratories of both government and private exploration agencies through deployment of state-of-the-art analytical equipment, including portable analytical tools, and related infrastructural facilities with sufficient skilled manpower. It is necessary to boost exploration efforts in a big way by using advanced exploration techniques, including land, drone, and satellite-based hyperspectral and multispectral remote sensing techniques, in addition to the traditional methods. India needs to modernise and transform its mining sector by adopting modern concepts like in-situ recovery, which helps minimise environmental and social impacts. Critical minerals are more about chemistry and process engineering than about reserves and mining. With a lack of middle-of-the-chain expertise and infrastructure, we may remain import-dependent even with good mineral reserves. It is necessary, therefore, to adopt eco-friendly extraction methods for critical metals that appropriately tackle environmental problems and accelerate technology development in this sector with advanced tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. For a better mining and extraction environment in the country, investor-friendly policies have to be in place. Urban mining and processing of electronic equipments and Li-ion batteries also need to be expedited as several national laboratories have developed capabilities of recovering some critical minerals or metals.

Research highlights

Achieving strategic autonomy in critical minerals requires India to transition from basic mapping to discovery-led, technology-driven exploration.

India must execute a nationwide mandate to deploy advanced analytical tools, upgrade testing infrastructure, and update the technical workforce.

Boosting exploration efforts with a combination of land, drone, and satellite-based hyperspectral and multispectral remote sensing.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming mining and other industrial processes by mitigating environmental footprints.

The real challenge is not only to enhance critical mineral reserves but also to get rid of processing dependency by tackling the real choke point in the middle of the chain involving chemistry and process engineering.