India takes bold steps to secure critical minerals

13 Dec 2023 CW Team

To ensure a steady supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic market, a joint venture company named Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) was formed. This venture received equity contributions from three Central Public Sector Enterprises: National Aluminium Company Ltd, Hindustan Copper, and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy KABIL, based on commissioned studies and selection criteria, has initiated engagement with state-owned organisations in shortlisted source countries, facilitated by the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Embassies in countries like Argentina and Australia, aiming to acquire overseas mineral assets.

The Central Government, through the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023, amended the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 1957, inserting 24 critical and strategic minerals into Part D of Schedule-I. These minerals are officially recognised as critical and strategic for the country. The amended Act also empowers the Central Government to auction critical and strategic mineral blocks. The first tranche of auction for 20 blocks took place on November 29, 2023, with details provided in the Annexure.

Furthermore, as part of its 'Science and Technology Programme,' the Ministry of Mines offers grants under S&T-PRISM for the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Start-ups and MSMEs in the Mining, Mineral Processing, Metallurgy, and Recycling Sector. One of the key focus areas under S&T-PRISM is the extraction of strategic and critical minerals at the elemental level.

On November 1, 2022, the Ministry of Mines established a Committee tasked with identifying critical and strategic minerals. Among its recommendations was the creation of a National Institute or Centre of Excellence on Critical Minerals (CECM). The CECM's objective is to regularly update India's list of critical minerals, preferably every three years, and periodically announce the critical mineral strategy. The Committee identified 30 minerals as critical, with 24 included in Part D of Schedule 1 of the MMDR Act as critical and strategic minerals. To ensure a steady supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic market, a joint venture company named Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) was formed. This venture received equity contributions from three Central Public Sector Enterprises: National Aluminium Company Ltd, Hindustan Copper, and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy KABIL, based on commissioned studies and selection criteria, has initiated engagement with state-owned organisations in shortlisted source countries, facilitated by the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Embassies in countries like Argentina and Australia, aiming to acquire overseas mineral assets. The Central Government, through the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023, amended the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 1957, inserting 24 critical and strategic minerals into Part D of Schedule-I. These minerals are officially recognised as critical and strategic for the country. The amended Act also empowers the Central Government to auction critical and strategic mineral blocks. The first tranche of auction for 20 blocks took place on November 29, 2023, with details provided in the Annexure. Furthermore, as part of its 'Science and Technology Programme,' the Ministry of Mines offers grants under S&T-PRISM for the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Start-ups and MSMEs in the Mining, Mineral Processing, Metallurgy, and Recycling Sector. One of the key focus areas under S&T-PRISM is the extraction of strategic and critical minerals at the elemental level.

Infrastructure Energy

09 Mar 2026

BMW Industries partners with IOCL for PNG supply at Bokaro plant

BMW Industries has entered into a strategic partnership with Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) for the supply of Piped Natural Gas (PNG), reinforcing its commitment to adopting cleaner and more efficient energy sources for its operations.The agreement was signed at the Eastern Region Pipelines (ERPL) headquarters in Kolkata. The partnership is expected to support the company’s upcoming manufacturing facility in Bokaro by facilitating the use of natural gas as a primary energy source.According to the company, the adoption of PNG will help enhance operational efficiency while also contributing to ..

Real Estate

09 Mar 2026

Bombay Realty Secures RERA for Three ICC Tower in South Mumbai

Bombay Realty, the real estate arm of Bombay Dyeing and part of the Wadia Group, has received Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) certification for Three ICC – Wing A, the latest luxury residential tower at Island City Center in Mumbai’s Dadar.The RERA registration marks a key milestone in the development timeline and reinforces the company’s focus on regulatory transparency, timely project delivery, and high construction standards.Following the success of One ICC and Two ICC, the upcoming Three ICC tower represents the next phase of the Island City Center development. The project ai..

Infrastructure Energy

09 Mar 2026

Flender launches India’s largest wind gearbox test rig in Walajabad

Flender has inaugurated a 13.5 MW wind turbine gearbox test rig at its Walajabad facility near Chennai, marking the largest installation of its kind in India. The new facility is expected to strengthen the company’s manufacturing and testing capabilities while supporting the growing demands of the wind power sector in both domestic and global markets.The test rig was inaugurated on March 5 in the presence of Andreas Evertz, Group CEO, Flender; Lars Wiegemann, Vice President Wind Gears, Flender; and Vinod Shetty, CEO, Flender India, along with key industry customers and stakeholders.The insta..