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NCMM (National Critical Mineral Mission) & minerals list
What it is
The National Critical Mineral Mission aims to build an end-to-end domestic value chain for minerals essential to batteries, electronics, defence and clean energy - lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and rare earths
The MMDR Amendment 2023 opened lithium and five other minerals to private mining, critical mineral projects are exempt from mandatory public hearings, and royalties were cut to 3% for lithium, 2% for high-purity graphite and 1% for rare earths
Impact on industries
- Attacks a genuine strategic vulnerability, since India imports nearly all battery and magnet raw materials, largely from China
- Lower royalties and surety-bond flexibility are designed to make marginal critical mineral blocks biddable, unlike bulk minerals where royalty is high
- Processing is the bottleneck, not mining - rare earth separation needs specialised facilities India lacks at commercial scale
- Exemption from public hearings speeds clearance but invites local opposition and litigation later
- Lead times are long: exploration, clearance and infrastructure mean auctioned blocks contribute supply well into the 2030s