{"id":57017,"date":"2025-10-16T18:58:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T13:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=57017"},"modified":"2025-10-18T16:33:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T11:03:27","slug":"critical-factor-clean-energy-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/16-10-2025\/critical-factor-clean-energy-india","title":{"rendered":"The \u2018Critical Factor\u2019 in India\u2019s Clean Energy Ambitions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As India targets 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070, securing access to critical minerals has become a national priority.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are Critical Minerals?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These are minerals that are <strong>essential for economic development and national security.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The lack of availability of these minerals or the concentration of extraction or processing in a few geographical locations could potentially lead to \u201c<strong>supply chain vulnerabilities and even disruption of supplies\u201d.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>List of Critical Minerals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Different countries have their own unique lists <\/strong>of critical minerals based on their specific circumstances and priorities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A total of 30 minerals were found to be most critical for India,<\/strong> out of which two are critical as fertilizer minerals: Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Critical Minerals in India\u2019s Green Transition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Significance:<\/strong> Critical minerals are essential for technologies powering electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels, wind turbines, and energy storage systems.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lithium and cobalt<\/strong> form the core of EV batteries, while REEs are vital for high-performance magnets in wind turbines and electronics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Market Outlook:<\/strong> India\u2019s EV market is projected to grow at a CAGR of <strong>49% <\/strong>(2023\u20132030) under initiatives like the <strong>Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS) 2024.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The battery storage market, valued at <strong>$2.8 billion in 2023<\/strong>, is set to expand rapidly with renewable energy integration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Import Dependence:<\/strong> India imports nearly<strong> 100%<\/strong> of its lithium, cobalt, and nickel, and over 90% of its REEs, leaving it vulnerable to supply disruptions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>China currently dominates <strong>60%<\/strong> of global REE production and <strong>85%<\/strong> of processing capacity, heightening strategic risks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Policy Push for Mineral Exploration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Domestic Reserves: <\/strong>India has vast untapped mineral potential, with <strong>lithium in Jammu and Kashmir (J&amp;K)<\/strong> and <strong>Rajasthan<\/strong>, and REEs in <strong>Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In <strong>2023<\/strong>, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) identified <strong>5.9 million tonnes<\/strong> of inferred lithium resources in J&amp;K.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Policy Initiatives: National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP), 2016<\/strong> and <strong>Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2021<\/strong> have accelerated exploration through private participation and advanced surveys.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd)<\/strong> is acquiring overseas mineral assets to ensure supply security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) <\/strong>with a <strong>\u20b934,300 crore plan <\/strong>aims to strengthen the value chain from exploration to recovery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d9eaf2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"606\" height=\"406\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-61.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-57019\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d9eaf2; width:516px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-61.png 606w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-61-300x201.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the challenges?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Environmental Concerns: <\/strong>Mining and extraction pose ecological and social challenges.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limited Processing and Refining Capacity:<\/strong> India lacks sufficient domestic facilities for advanced processing and refining of critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and REEs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low Domestic Production:<\/strong> Despite having significant untapped reserves, India contributes less than <strong>1% <\/strong>of global <strong>Rare Earth Element (REE) production<\/strong>, limiting its influence in global critical mineral markets and creating supply vulnerabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Policy Incentives: <\/strong>Strong fiscal measures such as subsidies, tax incentives, production-linked schemes, and dedicated R&amp;D funding are essential to make domestic exploration and processing economically viable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Speedy operationalisation of approved mining leases<\/strong> and fast-tracked exploration in mineral-rich regions like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Jammu &amp; Kashmir will help boost supply security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Upgrading to mechanised mining equipment, <\/strong>automated processing plants, and sustainable waste management systems will improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promoting a Circular Economy:<\/strong> With India generating nearly <strong>four million metric tonnes of e-waste annually,<\/strong> enhancing <strong>recycling and recovery <\/strong>of critical minerals from used batteries and electronic waste can significantly reduce import dependence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/the-critical-factor-in-indias-clean-energy-ambitions\/article70168241.ece#:~:text=India&#039;s%20ambition%20to%20be%20a,Rare%2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">As India targets 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070, securing access to critical minerals has become a national priority.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>What are Critical Minerals?<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Different countries have their own unique lists of critical minerals based on their specific circumstances and priorities.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">A total of 30 minerals were found to be most critical for India, out of which two are critical as fertilizer minerals: Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/16-10-2025\/critical-factor-clean-energy-india\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57017"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57043,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57017\/revisions\/57043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}