New Delhi, 04 November (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the need for India to strengthen its domestic capabilities in critical mineral processing to develop the technologies of the future. He said minerals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt are indispensable for electric vehicles, batteries, electronics and the defence sector, yet India continues to depend heavily on imports for processed minerals.

In a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday, the Prime Minister posed a question on whether India should remain dependent on other countries for processing the critical minerals required to meet its future needs. “I certainly do not believe so,” he said.

PM Modi stated that, with the objective of reducing this dependence and developing domestic processing capabilities, the Union Cabinet had approved a new scheme. Under the initiative, new processing plants for critical minerals will be established, while capital subsidies will be provided to encourage investment in the sector.

He said the initiative would promote domestic value addition in critical minerals and strengthen the country's supply chains. India must develop within its own borders the capabilities required to manufacture the technologies of the future, he emphasised.

It may be noted that the Union Cabinet has approved the Capex Support Scheme to Promote Critical Mineral Processing, with a financial outlay of Rs. 2,814 crore. The scheme will be implemented over five years, from the financial year 2026-27 to 2030-31, with the objective of encouraging domestic industry and investment in critical mineral processing.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar