Speaking at the sidelines of the CII Summit on Advanced Materials, Critical Minerals and Metals, the Minister said, “Critical minerals are an important segment not just for India, but also globally. Nations are discussing this issue. In the BRICS summit, one of the major agenda is discussion on critical minerals. Yesterday, I met Anton Alikhanov, Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade. I will also meet other nations.”
Reddy and Alikhanov discussed strengthening India–Russia co-operation in critical minerals. The deliberations included building resilient supply chains, promoting technology and investment and advancing cooperation in the mining sector.
The Minister also highlighted that under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has taken up 300 critical mineral exploration projects in 2026 alone, and four critical mineral processing parks are being developed with Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
India has also acquired five lithium blocks in Argentina and entered into partnerships with Japan, Peru, the UK and the US, he added.
Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology, said: “The next phase of technological competition is essentially going to have critical minerals as a very important component. When we talk of critical minerals, it is no longer confined only to mining policy. It is also to do with energy security, industrial competitiveness and national security. We have to follow a global strategy; we have to live up to global benchmarks.”
He outlined five priorities — investment, building domestic capabilities, deeper partnerships, recycling models and a culture of philanthropy for research, and called for partnerships with the highest integrity.
Published on September 11, 2026