FAST READ
- The government has highlighted critical minerals as central to energy security, industrial competitiveness and national security.
- Policy emphasis is shifting from mining alone to the full value chain: exploration, extraction, refining, processing, engineering, manufacturing and recycling.
- The 2026 policy discussion links critical minerals to clean energy, electric mobility, semiconductors, telecom, aerospace, defence and nuclear energy.
WHY IN NEWS
- A September 2026 global summit on advanced materials and critical minerals highlighted India's need to reduce external vulnerabilities while expanding domestic technological capability.
- The issue is important because mineral concentration, processing dependence and geopolitical disruptions can affect multiple strategic industries simultaneously.
TOP DATA & FACTS
- The 3rd Global Summit on Advanced Materials, Critical Minerals & Metals was held in New Delhi.
- Its theme was 'Building Resilient Value Chains for a Sustainable and Competitive Future'.
- The summit brought together government, industry, research and international stakeholders.
- Critical minerals are linked to clean-energy technologies.
- They are also important for electric mobility.
- Semiconductor manufacturing depends on specialised minerals and advanced materials.
- Telecommunications uses strategic mineral inputs.
- Aerospace and defence require high-performance advanced materials.
- Nuclear-energy systems also depend on specialised material supply chains.
- Government policy stresses exploration and extraction.
- It also stresses refining and processing capability.
- Engineering and manufacturing are part of the targeted value chain.
- Recycling and circularity are identified as strategic priorities.
- International partnerships are needed alongside domestic resources.
- Five broad priorities highlighted include research investment, domestic capability, stakeholder partnerships, global/recycling models and research philanthropy.
PRELIMS
- A mineral can be 'critical' because of economic importance combined with supply risk.
- Criticality can change over time with technology, trade and substitution.
- Mining capacity and refining capacity are not the same thing.
- Recycling can reduce, but not necessarily eliminate, primary-mineral demand.
- Strategic stockpiles are one possible resilience tool.