Lok Sabha Question No. 2907 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Objectives of NCMM
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri Shankar Lalwani, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Shri Bharat Singh Kushwah

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. †2907

ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## OBJECTIVES OF NCMM

†2907:  SHRI SHANKAR LALWANI:

SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR:

SHRI BHARAT SINGH KUSHWAH:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  key  objectives  and  targeted  goals  of  the  National  Critical  Mineral  Mission (NCMM);
- (b) the various essential components of NCMM; and
- (c)  the  steps  taken  under  NCMM  to  promote  international  cooperation  and  private sector participation for exploration programmes?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) : The objectives of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) are:

- i) To secure India's critical mineral supply chain by ensuring mineral availability from domestic and foreign sources.
2. ii)  Strengthening  the  value  chains  by  enhancing  technological,  regulatory,  and financial ecosystems to foster innovation, skill development, and global competitiveness  in  mineral  exploration,  mining,  beneficiation,  processing,  and recycling.

Expected Targets of NCMM are as follows:

| Key heads                                                      |   Total (2024-25 to 2030-31) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
| Domestic Critical Mineral Exploration Projects                 |                         1200 |
| Foreign Critical Mineral Mines                                 |                           50 |
| Incentive scheme for recycling - total materials recycled (kt) |                          400 |
| Patents in critical mineral value chain                        |                         1000 |

| Skill development              |   10000 |
|--------------------------------|---------|
| Mineral Processing Parks       |       4 |
| Centre of Excellence           |       3 |
| Mineral Stockpile (cumulative) |       5 |

(b): Following are the c omponents of the NCMM:

- i. Increasing Domestic Critical Minerals Production
- ii. Acquisition of Critical Mineral Assets Abroad
- iii. Recycling of Critical Minerals
- iv. Trade and Markets
- v. Scientific Research & Technological Advancement for Critical Minerals
- vi. Human Resource Development
- vii. Developing Effective Funding, Financing and Fiscal Incentives

(c): Ministry of Mines  is actively facilitating international and  private sector collaboration  through  seminars,  meetings,  roadshows  etc.  The  Ministry  maintains regular coordination with Indian embassies to identify potential opportunities in the critical minerals sector in respective countries. In the interest of developing bilateral cooperation with mineral resource rich countries, the Ministry has entered into bilateral MoUs with the Governments of a number of countries such as Australia, Argentina, Zambia,  Peru,  Zimbabwe,  Mozambique,  Malawi  etc  and  also  with  international organizations such as the International Energy Agency (IEA).

For the acquisition of overseas mineral assets, the Ministry of Mines has established a  joint  venture  company,  Khanij  Bidesh  India  Ltd.  (KABIL).  KABIL  has  signed  an Exploration and Development Agreement with CAMYEN, a state-owned enterprise of Catamarca  province  of Argentina,  for  exploration  and  mining  of  five  Lithium  Brine Blocks in Argentina in an area of 15703 Hectares.

Ministry of Mines is also engaged in various multilateral and bilateral platforms such as  Minerals  Security  Partnership  (MSP),  India-US  Strategic  Mineral  Recovery Initiative,  the  Indo-Pacific  Economic  Framework  (IPEF),  and  UK-India  Technology Security Initiative (TSI), etc. for strengthening the critical minerals value chain.

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