New Delhi [India], October 9 (ANI): India is looking to improve rare earth mineral processing technologies and scale them up for commercial use as the government seeks to establish an end-to-end domestic critical minerals ecosystem, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Mines Kadam Sandeep Vasant said.
Speaking at the India Mines and Minerals Conclave 2026, Vasant said India had large deposits of rare earth minerals but needed improvements in processing technologies to develop commercially viable and stable operations.
"Rare earth minerals are already being processed by IREL for many years, I suppose even decades. But then we need certain improvements; we need to have commercially viable and commercially stabilised technology," he said.
He said the government's National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) was supporting research and development across the country to advance technologies in the critical minerals sector and help move existing capabilities from laboratory-scale operations to pilot and commercial scales.
Vasant said the mission aimed to develop the entire value chain within India, covering exploration, mining, extraction, processing, refining and downstream industries.
The approach also includes urban mining and the recovery of minerals from secondary resources such as mine tailings and dumps, alongside conventional mining.
While India has substantial rare earth deposits, minerals such as lithium and nickel are not available domestically in the quantities required, making overseas sourcing an important part of the strategy, he said.
The government has established Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL) to identify exploration and mining opportunities abroad.
Highlighting the financial challenges in developing the sector, Vasant said the government was introducing mechanisms to support companies investing in critical minerals. One such initiative is a Rs 1,500-crore incentive scheme for critical mineral recycling, covering electronic waste, end-of-life batteries and other feedstock.
He said 58 companies had been declared eligible under the scheme, with the government expecting India to develop substantial recycling capacity over the next two years.
India's position as one of the world's largest consumers of electronic goods could provide a significant domestic resource base for recovering critical minerals, he said, adding that better collection mechanisms and processing capacity would be essential to unlock this potential.
Vasant also pointed to initiatives across government departments, including schemes for rare earth permanent magnets, advanced chemistry cell batteries and speciality steel manufacturing.
With coordinated policy support, technology development and diversified mineral sourcing, India expects to establish a stable domestic critical minerals ecosystem over the coming years, he said. (ANI)
India looks to scale up rare earth processing tech, build domestic critical minerals ecosystem: Joint Secy Mines Ministry
