India’s National Critical Mineral Mission bolsters self-reliance with ambitious exploration drive: PM Modi

India has launched an ambitious National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in 2025 to secure its supply of critical minerals essential for clean energy technologies and national security, with enhanced focus on domestic exploration, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said during his Independence Day address. 

Spearheaded by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the mission aims to conduct 1,200 exploration projects from 2024-25 to 2030-31. The mission targets minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements (REEs) to reduce import dependency and strengthen India’s position in the global energy transition.

“Over 1200 exploration projects for critical minerals are underway,” the Prime Minister said during his Red Fort address. 

The GSI has hit the ground running, initiating 195 exploration projects in the 2024-25 field season, including 35 in Rajasthan, to identify deposits of critical minerals vital for solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles (EVs), and energy storage systems. 

India’s National Critical Mineral Mission, aimed at self reliance,  also plans to auction over 100 critical mineral blocks. Notably, 24 of the 30 critical minerals identified by the Ministry of Mines in November 2022 are now under the Central government’s exclusive auction authority, as per the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

To accelerate efforts, the government is introducing a fast-track regulatory approval system and a new Exploration Licence to boost private sector participation. Offshore exploration for polymetallic nodules containing cobalt, REEs, nickel, and manganese is also on the horizon. 

“To accelerate efforts, the government will introduce a fast-track regulatory approval system and a new Exploration License. This aims to boost private sector participation and facilitate offshore exploration for polymetallic nodules rich in cobalt, rare earth elements, nickel, and manganese.”

Additionally, the mission promotes recycling from secondary sources like fly ash and tailings, with an incentive scheme targeting 400 kt of recovered minerals by 2030-31.

Beyond domestic efforts, NCMM is expanding India’s global footprint.

Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL) signed a landmark agreement with Argentina’s CAMYEN SE in January 2024 for lithium exploration across 15,703 hectares and is pursuing lithium and cobalt projects in Australia. The mission aims to secure 26 overseas mineral assets for public sector undertakings and 24 for private firms by 2030-31, supported by public-private partnerships and coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs.

Critical minerals are the backbone of India’s clean energy ambitions. With a solar capacity of 64 GW and plans to expand wind energy from 42 GW to 140 GW by 2030, minerals like silicon, tellurium, dysprosium, and neodymium are in high demand. The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan’s target of 6–7 million EVs by 2024 further underscores the need for lithium, nickel, and cobalt for lithium-ion batteries.

The National Critical Mineral Mission also prioritises innovation and infrastructure, with plans for 1,000 patents, 10,000 skilled workers, four mineral processing parks, and three Centres of Excellence by 2030-31.

IREL (India) Limited, a key player and the only rare earth magnet manufacturer in India, continues to drive production with a capacity of 6 lakh tons per annum, reporting a peak turnover of ₹14,625 million in 2021-22.

Deep Sea Exploration

Meanwhile, two Indian aquanauts successfully conducted deep ocean expeditions to depths of 4,025 meters and 5,002 meters in the Atlantic Ocean, marking the first time India has achieved such a feat.

The Indian aquanauts – Raju Ramesh, Senior Scientist and Cdr. Jatinder Pal Singh (Retd)—completed the maiden dives for a total duration of about seven hours. 

 The expedition was conducted as a collaborative scientific activity with IFREMER, the French marine research institute, in deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean, onboard IFREMER’s submersible Nautile. 

“This record-setting dive is a prelude to the activities under India’s Samudrayan Mission, which aims to send three aquanauts to a depth of 6,000 meters in the indigenously developed submersible MATSYA-6000 by 2027,” a statement from the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Read. 

Samudrayan is part of Indian government’s flagship Deep Ocean Mission, launched to explore and sustainably harness deep ocean resources.

Published on August 15, 2025