Centre plans critical minerals reserves to support strategic industries

By Staff Report 1 October 9, 2026 3:40 pm IST

The government expects to finalise its critical minerals stockpiling policy within a month, aiming to support strategic industries and strengthen mineral availability.

The government is expected to announce its policy on stockpiling critical minerals in about a month, according to Mines Secretary Keshav Chandra. The policy aims to maintain stocks of critical minerals to support the growth of strategic sectors, including defence, advanced electronics and aerospace.

“We are on the verge of finalising the policy on stockpiling of critical minerals which will be announced in about a month’s time,” Keshav Chandra told reporters on Friday. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the India Mines and Minerals Conclave 2026, organised by industry body Assocham.

The government is also working on establishing four dedicated critical minerals processing parks in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha to accelerate value addition for key battery materials.

The government has already released a list of more than 30 critical minerals, taking into account the requirements of sectors including defence, agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and other critical industries.

Critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements are essential raw materials for clean energy technologies. Their applications include wind turbines, electricity networks, electric vehicles and battery manufacturing.

Source: The Economic Times