The National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) - 2025 and the Green Energy Targets, Challenges and Mission-mode Action Plans

It was in 2023 that the Government of India, for the first time, completed a holistic exercise in identifying a comprehensive list of 'Critical Minerals'.This was arrived at following similar studies by USA, European Union, UK, Japan and Australia during the last decade.After careful scrutiny of India's proven mineral wealth, and the mineralresource needs of sectors like defence, agriculture, clean energy, pharmaceutical, telecom and other sectors in the light of possible vulnerabilities arising out of the global supply-chain and market regimes the study was taken up by an expert group.Such an exercise was part of India's goal of 'Atmamirbartha' (self-sufficiency) (Critical Minerals of India, 2023) Subsequently, considering the rapidly evolving strategies in this vital sector in recent years, led to the launching the 'National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM-2025)' with a Union Cabinet approved expenditure of Rs 16,300 crore during 2024-25, so as to establish a robust framework for self-reliance in the critical mineral sector.The NCMM encompasses all stages of the value chain, including mineral exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, and also recovery from end-of-life products and mine wastes and tailings from major industries such as the Transport, Coal, Aluminium, Iron and others (see Fig. 1).The mission plans to intensify the exploration of critical minerals within the country and in its offshore areas.It also aims to create a fast-track regulatory approval process