India Expands Exploration for Critical Minerals Amid Growing Demand
New Delhi: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has significantly ramped up its exploration efforts for critical and strategic minerals, increasing the number of projects from 118 in 2021-22 to 196 in 2024-25. This boost in exploration is driven by the rising importance of these minerals for industries such as Lithium-Ion batteries, semiconductor technology, and computing, as reported to Parliament on Monday.
Despite some domestic mining and production of critical metals, India remains heavily reliant on imports to satisfy its demand, as stated by Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy in the Rajya Sabha. Currently, the country holds 54 mining leases for critical minerals, including graphite, rock phosphate, and tin ore.
The minister highlighted that the significance and economic viability of these deposits vary widely. They are distributed across different regions with varying levels of accessibility and extraction feasibility. Notably, India has identified lithium reserves in Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir, while cobalt and nickel deposits, often associated with copper ores, are found in Odisha and Jharkhand. The reserves, however, remain relatively modest.
India also possesses substantial reserves of rare earth elements in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, and Kerala, with monazite sands in Kerala being particularly rich. Additionally, high-quality graphite reserves are found in Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu.
The country’s projected annual requirements for critical minerals by 2030 include 3,878 tonnes of cobalt, 13,671 tonnes of lithium, 17,492 tonnes of nickel, and 766 tonnes of neodymium. The GSI’s expanded exploration efforts are aimed at identifying and assessing potential deposits to meet these future demands and support the strategic industries reliant on these essential materials.
