India has released its first critical minerals list, identifying 30 materials that are key to its economic growth and technological development.

The critical minerals list, formulated by the Ministry of Mines, includes a range of minerals considered essential for key industries such as defence, electronics, and renewable energy. The ministry will be revisiting the critical mineral list periodically, according to Union Mines Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj. Meanwhile, Pralhad Joshi, the Minister for Coal and Mines, highlighted plans to bring out a policy framework for exploration, processing, use and recycling of critical minerals.

The list is the latest move to suggest that India is taking critical materials more seriously. Earlier in June, India entered into the US-led Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), a transnational association whose members seek to secure a stable supply of raw materials for their economies. Other MSP members are Australia, Canada, the EU, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. India has also signed a Critical Minerals Investment Partnership with Australia, as the two partners work towards investment in critical minerals projects to develop supply chains between the two countries.

India is a key producer of several critical materials including bauxite, chromium, graphite, iron ore, lead, manganese, REEs, and silicon. However, it is heavily dependent on imports for a much broader range of materials. 

At COP26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a target for the country to achieve net zero by 2070. The following year at COP27, India submitted its first long-term strategy for low-carbon development, providing strategic direction for the economy and individual sectors in support of previously announced and submitted targets.

The full list is as follows:

1.      Antimony

2.      Beryllium

3.      Bismuth

4.      Cadmium

5.      Cobalt

6.      Copper

7.      Gallium

8.      Germanium

9.      Graphite

10.  Hafnium

11.  Indium

12.  Lithium

13.  Molybdenum

14.  Niobium

15.  Nickel

16.  PGMs

17.  Phosphorous

18.  Potash

19.  REEs

20.  Rhenium

21.  Selenium

22.  Silicon

23.  Strontium

24.  Tantalum

25.  Tellurium

26.  Tin

27.  Titanium

28.  Tungsten

29.  Vanadium

30.  Zirconium