India is actively seeking processing technology from key critical mineral producers, following the rollout of auctions for critical mineral mines.
Ongoing discussions are being held regarding collaboration with the US, UK, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, and Argentina. The signing of agreements is expected to occur shortly.
The aim is to establish India’s first critical mineral beneficiation and processing plant within 3-5 years to develop processing and extraction capabilities simultaneously. Beneficiation improves the quality of ore by eliminating undesirable minerals, which is vital for the advanced chemistry cell manufacturing industry in India.
India’s Ministry of Mines is developing strategies to speed up the mining, processing, manufacturing, and recycling of critical minerals to reduce reliance on imports. These initiatives focus on industries such as telecommunications, defence, agriculture, electric vehicles, cobalt, graphite, lithium, and rare earth elements, which are critical minerals.
In June 2023, India established a list comprising 30 critical minerals, which included platinum group elements, copper, nickel, and nickel, with the dual objectives of enhancing domestic development and resource security.
By forming strategic alliances with producers of critical minerals and implementing cutting-edge processing technologies, India aims to advance its industrial and technological objectives and improve its position as a global leader in critical mineral production.
