CONTEXT: WHY IT MATTERS NOW

• The 21st century is the era of critical minerals, just as earlier centuries were dominated by coal and oil.
• Energy transition, electric vehicles (EVs), and digital infrastructure are driving skyrocketing demand for minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earths.
• Global competition over mineral access has intensified; the US is fast-tracking exploration, while China dominates global supply chains.

CONCEPT: WHAT ARE CRITICAL MINERALS?

• Definition: Minerals essential to economic development, green technologies, and national security, with high supply risk and limited global sources.
• Examples: Lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, titanium, copper, and rare earth elements (REEs).
• Critical for: EV batteries, renewable energy, semiconductors, aerospace, defence, AI, big data.
• EVs use 6x more minerals than regular vehicles; offshore wind farms need 9x more than fossil-fuel plants.

CURRENT: INDIA’S URGENCY & CHALLENGES

• China controls 66% of global processing of critical minerals and over 90% of rare earths refining.
• China, Chile, Australia dominate lithium; Congo leads in cobalt; Indonesia in nickel.
• China can cripple global EV supply chains via export restrictions — it’s already happening.
• The US is expanding exploration and cutting red tape (permits in <1 month); India must act similarly.

INDIA’S POSITION & WAY FORWARD

• India is geologically rich but under-explored in critical minerals.
• Dependency on China is a strategic risk; overseas sourcing is unreliable — even for the US.
• Fast-tracking domestic exploration is vital for Atmanirbhar Bharat and green growth.
• India must:
  • Build mapping and survey infrastructure.
  • Incentivize public-private exploration partnerships.
  • Develop domestic processing and refining capacities.
  • Diversify import sources and secure mineral supply deals with trusted partners.

MAINS QUESTION

1. Analyze the importance of fast-tracking critical mineral exploration in India, highlighting its potential impact on Atmanirbhar Bharat and green growth initiatives.
2. Evaluate the current state of critical mineral exploration in India, discussing the need for infrastructure development, public-private partnerships, and domestic processing capacities.