Page 2 - Strategic Minerals

India set to get its first list of critical minerals on Wednesday

The critical minerals list is likely to have more than 40 minerals

Epsilon first Indian firm to invest $650 mn on EV battery parts plant in US

Move follows India-US minerals pact; firm to set up 50,000 mtpa plant with revenue generating potential of $500 million at full capacity utilisation

One-third of annual exploration projects are for critical minerals: GSI

Amid the buzz of 'green economy', the Geological Survey of India (GSI) is intensifying its exploration exercises for critical minerals, like lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, with "one-third" of such projects being dedicated to the search of these resources, a top official said on Sunday. These critical minerals are key to clean energy technologies. The national survey organisation, which now has a working collaboration with Geoscience Australia for mineral exploration, is also in talks for tie-ups with the authorities in Russia and Brazil, GSI Deputy Director General (Policy Support System - Planning and Monitoring) Asit Saha said. "We have been taking up more than 100 exploration projects every year for critical minerals since 2020-21. The same trend continues this year (2023-24) also, as it is our thrust area. Earlier, the number of such projects was to the tune of 60-70 but now we have drastically increased it. "Out of a total of around 350 mineral exploration ..

India's dependence on China for rare earth minerals not good: Cong leader

Noting that over 90 per cent of rare earth minerals are imported from China, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday asked the government to give due priority to their exploration in India, saying "such kind of dependence" on a "hostile country" will not augur well. Raising the issue in Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, the Congress leader said exploration of rare earth minerals is "abysmally low" in the country and termed it as "achilles heels" in India's strategic planning. "The reason being that till now our government has been importing more than 90 per cent of the rare earth minerals from China," he said. He said rare earth minerals consists of 17 very critical elements, which are used in a range of items, from nuclear power and magnets to electric vehicles. In view of the wide ranging application of the rare earth mineral, Chowdhury said, "I think the kind of dependence that India has upon a hostile country for the earth materials will not augur good for our nation." The

Strategic minerals remain unattractive for miners

Domestic mining firms find the extraction process risky and expensive