Government Raises India’s Critical Mineral Targets Under the National Critical Mineral Mission
India wants to dig up and make more of its own critical minerals. The government has raised India’s critical mineral targets for both exploration and production under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM). Critical minerals are scarce materials like lithium, cobalt and rare earths. They are needed for batteries, electric vehicles (EVs), phones, computers and defence equipment. Right now India buys most of these from other countries, especially China. The new push is meant to change that.
Below we explain, in plain words, what the National Critical Mineral Mission is, what targets have gone up, and why this matters for India, for founders and for everyday buyers of EVs and gadgets.
What is the National Critical Mineral Mission?
The National Critical Mineral Mission is a seven-year government plan to make India more self-reliant in these scarce materials. It runs from the financial year 2024-25 to 2030-31. (A financial year in India runs from April to March.)
The mission has a total outlay of about ₹34,300 crore. (Outlay just means the total money set aside.) Of this, around ₹16,300 crore is direct government spending. The rest, about ₹18,000 crore, is expected to come from public sector undertakings — these are companies owned by the government, such as state-run mining firms.
The plan covers the full journey of a mineral. That means finding it (exploration), digging it out (mining), cleaning and refining it (processing), and even recovering it from old products like dead batteries (recycling).
Which targets have been raised?
According to a report by Financial Express and figures shared by the government, the targets for both exploration and production have been pushed higher. The headline goals now look like this.
More exploration
Exploration means searching the ground to find where minerals are hidden. The Geological Survey of India (GSI), the government’s main rock-and-mineral survey agency, has been told to run 1,200 exploration projects between 2024-25 and 2030-31. To compare, GSI completed 368 such projects over the past three years. In 2024-25 alone, 195 projects were underway, including 35 in Rajasthan.
More domestic production
The mission aims to produce at least 15 critical minerals inside India. These include graphite, lithium, potash and rare earth elements (REEs). Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used in strong magnets, EV motors and defence gear. The idea is simple: make more at home so India depends less on imports.
More mines and overseas deals
The government also plans to auction more than 100 critical mineral blocks. (A block is a marked plot of land where a company can mine. An auction is when companies bid for the right to mine it.) In the financial year 2025-26, India auctioned 200 mineral blocks in total — the highest ever in a single year. In March 2026, the Ministry of Mines launched its 7th auction round, offering 19 new strategic blocks.
On top of that, Indian companies are being encouraged to buy up to 50 mining assets abroad. This helps lock in supply from countries that already have these minerals in the ground.
Key facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Mission name | National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) |
| Duration | FY 2024-25 to FY 2030-31 (7 years) |
| Total outlay | About ₹34,300 crore |
| Government spending | About ₹16,300 crore |
| PSU investment expected | About ₹18,000 crore |
| Exploration target (GSI) | 1,200 projects by 2030-31 |
| Projects done in last 3 years | 368 (195 underway in 2024-25) |
| Domestic production goal | At least 15 critical minerals |
| Mineral blocks to auction | More than 100 |
| Blocks auctioned in FY 2025-26 | 200 (record high) |
| Overseas mining assets target | Up to 50 |
| Recycling scheme budget | About ₹1,500 crore |
The recycling push
The mission does not only dig new minerals. It also wants to pull minerals back out of old, used products — a process called recycling. This includes recovering lithium and cobalt from worn-out EV and phone batteries.
There is a special incentive scheme for recycling with a budget of about ₹1,500 crore. (An incentive is money or a reward to encourage companies to act.) The target is to recover around 400 kilotonnes of recycled material and to build 270 kilotonnes of yearly recycling capacity. That could add about 40 kilotonnes of critical mineral production each year. A kilotonne is 1,000 tonnes. Reports say the Ministry of Mines has already approved 58 companies under this recycling scheme.
Why it matters (especially for India and founders)
India is building a huge clean-energy and EV economy. EVs, solar panels, wind turbines and modern electronics all need critical minerals. Today, India imports most of them, and a few countries control supply. If those countries cut exports — as has happened with rare earths — Indian factories can stall.
Higher exploration and production targets aim to reduce this risk. For founders and manufacturers, more local supply could mean steadier prices and fewer shocks. It fits with India’s wider self-reliance push, seen in moves like the country’s plan for defence manufacturing clusters that also need these strategic materials.
The battery industry is one of the biggest winners. Companies are already racing to make cells in India. For example, EV maker Ola Electric is producing its own LFP battery cells, which rely on a steady supply of lithium and other minerals. More domestic mining and recycling can feed exactly this kind of factory.
FAQ
What are critical minerals?
They are scarce materials such as lithium, cobalt and rare earths. They are vital for batteries, EVs, electronics and defence, and their supply can be easily disrupted.
What is the National Critical Mineral Mission?
It is a seven-year government plan (2024-25 to 2030-31) with an outlay of about ₹34,300 crore to find, mine, process and recycle critical minerals in India.
How many exploration projects is India targeting?
The Geological Survey of India has been tasked with 1,200 exploration projects by 2030-31, up sharply from the 368 done in the previous three years.
Why does India need this?
India imports most of its critical minerals. Building local supply protects EV, electronics and defence factories from export bans and price shocks.
The takeaway
By raising its critical mineral targets, India is making a clear bet: dig more, make more and recycle more at home. If the National Critical Mineral Mission hits its goals — 1,200 exploration projects, at least 15 minerals produced locally, and a strong recycling base — the country could power its EV and clean-energy boom with far less worry about foreign supply.
Sources
- Financial Express — Govt raises critical mineral targets
- PIB — Cabinet approves National Critical Mineral Mission (₹34,300 crore outlay)
- IEA — National Critical Mineral Mission policy summary
