India Seeks International Partnerships for Critical Mineral Processing Tech

India is actively seeking collaborations with leading critical mineral producers worldwide, including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan, to import processing technology into the country. This initiative aligns with India's strategy to auction critical mineral mines and emphasizes the government's ambition to establish domestic processing facilities for these valuable resources.

Officials from the mines ministry have indicated that discussions with potential partner countries are progressing, with agreements expected to be signed soon. The focus is not only on securing critical minerals but also on acquiring the technology required for their beneficiation—a process essential for enhancing the purity of ores by removing impurities.

The government envisions setting up India's first critical mineral beneficiation and processing plant within the next three to five years, aiming to develop processing and extraction capabilities simultaneously. This approach underscores the importance of critical minerals in supporting India's burgeoning advanced chemistry cell manufacturing industry, which demands significant quantities of cathode active materials for lithium-ion battery production.

Critical minerals like cobalt, graphite, lithium, and rare earth elements are indispensable for manufacturing electric vehicle components and play crucial roles in sectors such as defense, agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals, and telecom. The Centre of Excellence under the mines ministry is devising a strategy to expedite the development of critical mineral mining, processing, manufacturing, and recycling.