Vedanta Ltd is stepping up its focus on critical minerals through acquisitions and partnerships in India and abroad. Arun Misra, Executive Director and CEO of Hindustan Zinc, outlined plans to tap new resources and support the clean energy shift.
Strategic Investments and Global Alliances
Vedanta is actively forming strategic alliances and partnerships, including copper mining ventures in Africa and mineral block development projects. Moreover, some international majors have already shown interest in collaborating on these high-value initiatives. The company has committed $20 billion over the next three years for expansion across metals, mining, and hydrocarbons—primarily through extensions of its current operations.
India’s Exploration Opportunity
“Nearly 80% of India’s mineral resources remain unexplored,” said Misra. “This presents a powerful opportunity for the country to lead the global race in critical minerals.” Vedanta is capitalizing on this potential with a focus on copper exploration in eastern Maharashtra, supported by advanced geological datasets.
Securing Critical Mineral Blocks
Vedanta has already secured key mineral blocks—copper, graphite, vanadium, cobalt, manganese, and tungsten—all essential for clean energy technologies and future-focused industries like EVs, advanced batteries, and renewables. To expand exploration efforts, Hindustan Zinc has now invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from junior explorers. Target minerals include base metals, copper, gold, nickel-chrome, cobalt, PGEs, graphite, and vanadium.
Nuclear Power and Engineering Partnerships
Vedanta recently issued a global EoI—closing on April 30—inviting participation from engineering firms for the construction and supply of 5,000 MW of nuclear power projects in India. This move reflects the company’s growing interest in clean and sustainable energy solutions.
Expanding Global Footprint
Looking beyond India, Vedanta is actively exploring mergers and acquisition opportunities to grow its global footprint in critical minerals. These efforts are in step with the Indian government’s push to secure supply chains for transition minerals, which are essential for clean energy and future technologies. “We’ve aligned our portfolio with critical minerals, clean energy, and future tech,” Misra noted. “We already operate across nine of the 17 transition metals.”
Driving the Green Transition
Minerals like copper, cobalt, graphite, and lithium form the backbone of electric vehicles, renewable energy infrastructure, and high-tech industries. Vedanta’s growing presence positions it as a key player in India’s green energy transition and carbon reduction efforts. According to thehindubusinessline.com, by leveraging exploration, partnerships, and acquisitions, Vedanta is working to become a major player in the global critical minerals market.
