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The government is likely to finalise within a month a policy to build strategic stockpiles of critical minerals, as India seeks to shield key industries from global supply disruptions and import dependence.
“We are on the verge of finalising the policy on stockpiling of critical minerals which will be announced in about a month’s time,” Mines Secretary Keshav Chandra said on the sidelines of India Mines and Minerals Conclave 2026 organised by industry body Assocham.
The proposed reserve is aimed at ensuring uninterrupted availability of minerals required by defence, aerospace and advanced electronics, apart from electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy technologies and electricity networks.
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The government is considering stockpiles covering up to six months of demand, significantly higher than an earlier proposal for a two-month reserve focused initially on rare earth elements. However, the final decision on the duration, minerals to be covered, size of the reserve and procurement mechanism is still awaited.
Under the National Critical Minerals Mission, the Centre has earmarked Rs 500 crore for creating a buffer against supply shocks and ensuring access to critical minerals for domestic industries.
The move comes as India steps up efforts to reduce vulnerabilities across critical mineral supply chains amid heavy global concentration in processing and refining.
Separately, the government is developing four critical mineral processing parks in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to strengthen domestic value addition.
These facilities are expected to support processing of rare earths, lithium, nickel, titanium and zirconium.
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The Centre has identified more than 30 critical minerals based on requirements across sectors including defence, energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications.
The stockpiling policy will complement efforts to secure supplies through domestic exploration, overseas acquisitions, recycling and expansion of processing capacity.
TOPICSRare Earth MineralsThis article was first uploaded on October ten, twenty twenty-six, at fifty-two minutes past five in the evening. © IE Online Media Services (P) Ltd