Published on 21 Mar 2025
• The Union Cabinet approved the amendment of Second Schedule to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 for specifying rate of royalty in respect of 12 critical and strategic minerals.
• Critical minerals are those minerals that are vital to the production of important technologies and essential for economic development and national security.
• The lack of availability of these minerals or concentration of extraction or processing in a few geographical locations may lead to supply chain vulnerabilities and even disruption of supplies.
• Specific minerals on the critical list can vary by country, but some common examples include lithium (batteries), cobalt (electric vehicles), rare earth elements (electronics and magnets), and graphite (used in steel production).
• Strategic Minerals are a subset of critical minerals and are those that are essential for national security applications.
• A joint venture company Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) has been incorporated with National Aluminium Company Ltd, Hindustan Copper Ltd and Mineral Exploration Company Ltd with the objective to identify and acquire overseas mineral assets of critical & strategic nature.
Critical minerals
Strategic Minerals
minerals
Lithium
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