The latest in India’s critical mineral push – The government has identified Odisha, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra to set up four critical mineral value processing parks, a senior government official said on Tuesday.
It is extremely important to establish a processing value chain for critical minerals, Mines Secretary Piyush Goyal said, adding that without such an ecosystem, it is difficult to utilize a critical mineral.
Significance of processing parks
“Without a processing value chain for critical minerals, even if we are able to source critical minerals whether domestically or from abroad we are not in a position to utilise them and they (the mineral) get exported,” Goyal said, addressing a seminar on Developing the Critical Minerals Value Chain for a Sustainable Future.
An allocation of Rs 500 crore was made in the National Critical Mineral Mission to establish four processing parks across the country, the official said.
“I am happy to share that we have finalised the location of these parks and in the meeting on April 22, with the offices of the state governments of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Odisha. We have reviewed the process, and hopefully, very soon we will have this processing parks set up in these states, which will cater to development of processing value chains for many of the critical minerals,” Goyal said.
Establishing a processing value chain critical minerals will help expand the capacity for these minerals, which are very much needed for the industry, he noted.
Project timeline
Goyal said these states have been identified as they have port access. When asked about the timeline for the projects, he said, “I am very optimistic that by this year-end we will significant progress in this regard”.
He also informed that there was a meeting between primary and secondary aluminum industry players, who shared several inputs listing their respective concerns.
Key identified minerals
India has shortlisted two critical minerals, lithium and cobalt, which are essential for EV batteries. The move is aimed at strengthening supply chain resilience through foreign mine acquisitions, a key pillar of India’s strategy to reduce dependence on imports and ensure long-term availability of raw materials.
India has already taken steps in this direction, securing five lithium blocks in Argentina, with production expected to begin by 2029. Also, it is exploring investment opportunities in lithium projects across Brazil, Argentina and Australia, signalling a diversified sourcing strategy.
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