Government to announce a policy on stockpiling of critical minerals

NEW DELHI: Recognising the importance of critical minerals for economic growth, green energy transition and national security, Government is set to announce a new policy on stockpiling these resources to ensure supplies to strategic sectors such as defence, aerospace and energy.Mines secretary Keshav Chandra said Friday that the policy was being finalised and was likely to be unveiled in a month. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of India Mines and Minerals Conclave 2026, organised by industry body Assocham, Chandra said govt was also working on four dedicated critical minerals processing parks in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra to process raw materials brought from overseas.Critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements are essential for clean energy technologies and are increasingly used in wind turbines, electricity networks, electric vehicles and battery manufacturing.Addressing the conference, Chandra also emphasised the need to accelerate exploration, strengthen critical mineral capabilities, promote recycling and beneficiation, and adopt modern mining practices.“We have to look at innovative methods to make use of that wealth of information. Any country which has made spectacular progress is also utilising its wealth and infusing new technology, looking at the entire resource from a new perspective altogether,” he said.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.