India Accelerates Critical Mineral Mission: Kishan Reddy Launches NCMM Outreach Forum in New Delhi

New Delhi: In a major thrust to strengthen India’s strategic resource security, Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy today inaugurated the Critical Mineral Seminar and formally launched the NCMM Outreach Forum under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) during a national seminar on Critical Mineral Processing held in New Delhi. The event marked a significant step in India’s efforts to build a resilient and self-reliant ecosystem for critical minerals, which are vital for the country’s clean energy ambitions, defence capabilities, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing industries.

Delivering the keynote address, Kishan Reddy emphasized the growing strategic importance of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite in shaping India’s transition to a low-carbon economy. He called for greater collaboration among government agencies, industries, research institutions, and startups to ensure India’s position as a global leader in critical mineral processing and innovation. The Minister stated that the newly launched Outreach Forum would serve as a vital platform to drive innovation, attract investment, and promote sustainable development aligned with the national goal of achieving technological sovereignty.

During the seminar, the Ministry of Mines presented an update on various mission activities, including recent mineral auctions and developments under the Centre of Excellence scheme. The event drew participation from around 200 delegates, representing a wide range of stakeholders including public and private sector companies, state governments, academic and research institutions, and international agencies such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

A key highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Hindustan Copper Limited, a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Mines, and RITES Limited, operating under the Ministry of Railways. The agreement aims to create a rapid, reliable, and sustainable supply chain for metals and minerals, including critical minerals, by undertaking joint exploration, extraction, refining, and production efforts both in India and overseas. The two companies will leverage their respective technical and financial capabilities to meet the growing demand for critical minerals.

The seminar featured a series of technical sessions and policy dialogues with active participation from senior policymakers, industry leaders, scientific experts, academic institutions, and state government officials. These discussions brought to the forefront the need for innovations in indigenous mineral processing technologies, with research institutes showcasing efficient solutions for processing low-grade and complex ores. Industry representatives shared their experiences in scaling up sustainable and efficient mineral processing technologies, while state governments highlighted enabling initiatives undertaken to support this emerging sector.

Throughout the sessions, experts examined a range of pressing issues including advancements in mineral processing technologies, state-level policy reforms, the refining of strategic minerals like lithium and graphite, innovative financing models to reduce investment risks, and circular economy strategies through recycling and extended producer responsibility mechanisms.