India Targets Regional Leadership in Critical Minerals Recycling

India is strengthening its strategy to become a regional hub for critical minerals recycling, according to Mines Secretary Piyush Goyal. The Ministry of Mines has intensified coordination with several ministries to streamline recovery, recycling and extraction from urban waste streams.

The government is simultaneously pursuing international partnerships, exploration acceleration and infrastructure development to support long‑term availability of key minerals. Discussions continue across agencies to broaden regulatory frameworks and enable faster deployment of recycling capabilities.

Government Focuses on Scaling Critical Minerals Recovery

The Ministry of Mines is working closely with the private sector to accelerate the recovery and recycling of critical minerals, describing the opportunity as a low‑hanging fruit. It has recently engaged with different ministries to devise systems for gathering urban waste and extracting critical minerals currently underutilised.

The Ministry has also urged the Ministry of Environment and Forests to include additional minerals under e‑waste rules where sufficient recycling capacity exists. These coordinated efforts aim to unlock a structured approach for material recovery across urban centres.

Strategy Combines Exploration, Offtake Agreements and International Engagement

India’s multi‑pronged critical minerals strategy includes fast‑tracking exploration through auctioning new blocks supported by global partnerships. The government is in discussions with various countries to secure exploration access at reasonable prices, including existing lithium blocks in Argentina.

According to the Mines Secretary, the availability of critical minerals is not a constraint due to long‑term offtake agreements that ensure a predictable supply. However, he emphasised that merely acquiring mineral access is insufficient without parallel development of a domestic processing value chain. The government has therefore engaged stakeholders to build a resilient processing ecosystem.

Strengthening Domestic Processing and Expanding Capacity

A key concern highlighted by the Mines Secretary is the need for a strong processing value chain to complement exploration and sourcing efforts. The Geological Survey of India will place greater emphasis on critical minerals while relying more extensively on the private sector for surface minerals exploration.

The Ministry has held discussions with the Department of Atomic Energy to expedite the utilisation of India’s sand mineral reserves, including thorium. For lithium‑ion battery materials, a private sector plant is scheduled to commence operations by mid‑2026, with capacity expansion planned through 2030 to process all domestic lithium battery waste.

Read More: India’s Power Ministry Pushes for Lower Electricity Costs for Consumers.

Conclusion

India is advancing a comprehensive framework to strengthen its critical minerals ecosystem through recycling, exploration, processing and international partnerships. Cross‑ministerial engagement and private sector collaboration are central to this strategy.

With new recycling capacity, expanded exploration focus and supportive policy measures, India aims to emerge as a regional leader in critical minerals recovery. The ongoing scheme uptake and planned processing facilities reflect growing momentum across the value chain.

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