Mines Ministry Partners with Shakti Foundation for Critical Minerals Expertise

By siliconindia  |  Tuesday, 30 April 2024, 08:30:39 AM IST

Mines Ministry Partners with Shakti Foundation for Critical Minerals Expertise
The Ministry of Mines and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate knowledge exchange regarding critical minerals. These minerals play a pivotal role in India's economic advancement, national security, and the transition to low-carbon energy.
The MoU was signed during the two-day 'Critical Minerals Summit: Enhancing Beneficiation and Processing Capabilities' event held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. The summit included exhibition pavilions displaying a wide range of minerals sourced from both land and sea environments.
VL Kantha Rao, Secretary of Mines, in his keynote address, underscored India's urgent need for robust exploration and utilization of critical minerals to support the nation's rapid economic growth and clean energy aspirations. He highlighted recent government initiatives, including mineral block auctions, aimed at accelerating domestic mineral exploration and production.
The summit also featured engaging panel discussions on important subjects like enhancing India's processing and beneficiation capabilities, as well as strategies for scaling up in both domestic and global markets. Noteworthy discussions focused on the Ministry's dedication to infrastructure development to support research and development in mineral processing.
Following that, a technology session took place, during which private companies, research and development institutions, academia, as well as GSI and NFTDC, presented India's mineral potential and the available technology for processing and beneficiation of critical minerals in the country.
The summit, poised to continue its deliberations, aims to position India as a global hub for critical mineral processing, thereby supporting the nation's ambitions of becoming a self-reliant and globally competitive player in the critical minerals arena. In June 2023, India identified 30 critical minerals taking into account its requirements for sectors like defence, agriculture, energy, pharmaceutical, and telecom and in line with its Atmanirbar (self-reliance) roadmap.
Critical minerals encompass Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, Rare Earth Elements (REE), Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium, and Cadmium. These minerals are indispensable for both economic growth and national security.

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