The government is accelerating plans to establish four dedicated critical mineral processing parks across the country as it seeks to strengthen domestic mineral processing and build secure supply chains for strategic materials. Mines Secretary Keshav Chandra said the government will soon introduce measures for lithium and nickel while identifying suitable locations for the proposed parks. Gujarat and Maharashtra are among the states being considered.
Focus on Lithium and Nickel Processing
The government’s initial focus on lithium and nickel reflects their growing importance in the battery manufacturing and clean-energy sectors. Both minerals are expected to play an increasingly important role in India’s energy transition and future industrial growth. Each proposed park will be designed to support the complete value chain of a designated critical mineral. This will include mineral processing as well as downstream industries within an integrated industrial location.
States to Lead Park Development
State governments will lead the planning and implementation of the critical mineral parks, while the Centre will provide technical support. By bringing processing and downstream manufacturing together, the initiative aims to improve efficiency, encourage investment and strengthen India’s domestic capabilities across the critical mineral value chain.
₹34,300 Crore National Critical Mineral Mission
The initiative forms part of the National Critical Mineral Mission, which carries a total outlay of ₹34,300 crore over seven years. The mission aims to accelerate domestic and overseas mineral exploration, develop processing capabilities and strengthen India’s access to critical raw materials. As reported by projectstoday.ai, the proposed processing parks could support India’s broader green-energy transition, while reducing vulnerabilities in the supply of minerals required for batteries, clean technologies and advanced industrial applications.
