Lok Sabha Question No. 506 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-03
Subject: Production of Critical Minerals
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Smt. Jyotsna Charandas Mahant

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 506

ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025

## PRODUCTION OF CRITICAL MINERALS

506.  SMT. JYOTSNA CHARANDAS MAHANT:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the production capacity and actual production of each critical mineral identified by the Government during the last five years, year and mineral-wise; (b) the total estimated domestic demand for critical minerals by 2030 and the share currently being met through domestic production versus imports; (c)  the  list  of  countries  from  which  India  imports  the  highest  quantities  of  critical minerals and the value of such imports during the last five years; (d) the details on the progress achieved under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) and progress achieved so far; and (e) whether India's processing and refining capacity for critical minerals is adequate to meet the needs of various industries and steps proposed to enhance domestic value

- chains?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c): Critical  minerals  currently  produced  in  the  country  through  mining  are Graphite, Phosphorite, Rare Earth Elements (REE), Titanium bearing minerals and Zirconium bearing mineral. Production details of these critical minerals for last five years is  at Annexure-I .  Besides  some  quantities  of Tin,  Nickel,  Cobalt,  Cadmium, Vanadium and Platinum group of elements (PGE), Lithium, Selenium, Indium are also produced in the country.

Various studies indicate significant increase in demand for critical mineral in India by 2030 - for lithium by about 6-8 times, cobalt by 3-5 times, REE, nickel and graphite by nearly 1.5 to 2 times.  Details of the top countries from which India imports critical minerals,  along  with  the  total  value  of  imports  during  last  five  years  placed  in Annexure-II.

(d) and (e): The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) on 29.01.2025 with the objectives of securing India's critical mineral supply chain and strengthening the critical mineral value chains. The progress made in various aspects of this Mission, inter-alia , includes the following:

-  Geological Survey of India (GSI) has intensified exploration of critical minerals. GSI carried out 195 critical mineral exploration projects in 2024-25, and 230 projects in 2025-26 across the country. Additionally, National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust (NMEDT) has sanctioned 62 projects for exploration of critical minerals during 2024-25 and 36 projects during 2025-26 (till date).
-  The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR Act), 1957 has  been  amended  in  2025  vide  which  the  scope  of  NMEDT  has  been expanded to support critical mineral exploration and mining overseas.
-  The  Central  Government  has  successfully  auctioned  34  blocks  of  critical minerals.
-  The Central Government has successfully auctioned 7 blocks of Exploration License, out of which, 3 are critical mineral blocks.
-  The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹1,500 crore Incentive Scheme to promote critical mineral recycling. The Scheme Guidelines were issued and the Scheme launched on 02.10.2025 and the scheme rolled out.
-  Guidelines for funding pilot projects for the recovery of critical minerals from overburden/ tailings/ fly ash/ red mud, etc have been issued on 14.11.2025.
-  The  Government  has  recognised  nine  premier  institutes  as  Centres  of Excellence  (CoEs) under  the  NCMM  to  carry  out  Research  &  Development (R&D) for strengthening domestic capabilities in the critical mineral value chain. Each CoE operates as a consortium, on a Hub & Spoke model, to leverage the core competence of constituent industry and academic spokes.
-  Under NCMM, ₹500 crore has been earmarked to build domestic critical mineral processing capabilities by developing mineral processing parks using existing infrastructure.

*****

Annexure-I

## Year-wise production of critical minerals in last 5 years (in tonnes)

| Mineral                            | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2023-24 (P)                          | 2024-25 (P)   |
|------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------------------|---------------|
| Graphite                           | 35,386    | 62,888    | 94,789    | 1,69,080                             | 85,329        |
| Phosphorite                        |           |           |           | 14,55,82913,94,95919,78,45015,57,783 | 18,05,914     |
| Rare Earth Elements as Oxide (REO) | 1994      | 2510      | 2511      | 2642                                 | 2345          |
| Titanium bearing minerals          | 3,33,604  | 3,66,445  | 3,69,160  | 4,00,152                             | 4,34,309      |
| Zirconium bearing mineral          | 12,240    | 10,616    | 10,988    | 13,962                               | 15,322        |

Source:

Indian Bureau of Mines (MCDR returns) and IREL (India) Ltd.

(P): Provisional

## Annexure-II

## Top import source countries and value of imports of critical minerals

| #   | Critical mineral              | Top import source(s)                            | Total value of imports from all sources from FY 2020- 21 to FY 2024-25 (₹ crores)   |
|-----|-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | Beryllium                     | Belgium, France,                                | 2.3                                                                                 |
| 2   | Cadmium                       | South Korea, China                              | 834.9                                                                               |
| 3   | Cobalt                        | China, Belgium, Netherland, Norway              | 896.1                                                                               |
| 4,5 | Gallium, Indium               | Russia, China                                   | 4.3                                                                                 |
| 6   | Graphite                      | China, Madagascar                               | 6,329.2                                                                             |
| 7   | Lithium                       | Belgium, USA, Russia                            | 1,951.5                                                                             |
| 8   | Molybdenum                    | Chile, USA, China                               | 13,644.1                                                                            |
| 9   | Niobium                       | Canada, Germany, Russia                         | 95.1                                                                                |
| 10  | Nickel                        | Norway, China, South Africa, Belgium, Australia | 28,688.1                                                                            |
| 11  | Platinum Group Elements (PGE) | UAE, UK, South Africa                           | 68,619.0                                                                            |

| 12                      | Phosphorous             | Jordan, Egypt, Togo, Morocco                                        | 59,898.2   |
|-------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|
| 13,14Potash, Glauconite | 13,14Potash, Glauconite | Russia, Canada                                                      | 48,476.6   |
| 15                      | REE                     | China, Japan, USA                                                   | 721.7      |
| 16                      | Rhenium                 | -                                                                   | Nil        |
| 17                      | Selenium                | Japan, South Korea                                                  | 345.5      |
| 18                      | Tantalum                | China , Estonia, USA                                                | 10.9       |
| 19                      | Tellurium               | China, Japan, Germany                                               | 15.1       |
| 20                      | Tin                     | Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia                                      | 13,916.8   |
| 21                      | Titanium                | Mozambique, Malaysia, South Korea, China, Kazakhstan USA, Singapore | 5,502.1    |
| 22                      | Tungsten                | Netherland, Japan, China                                            | 224.9      |
| 23                      | Vanadium                | South Korea, Thailand, China, Canada                                | 908.1      |
| 24                      | Zirconium               | Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia                                      | 6,253.5    |

Note: Includes ore/ concentrate/ compound/ unwrought metal/ waste & scrap of critical minerals