As India embarks on its clean energy transition, the demand for critical minerals is expected to rise sharply. However, the country's current domestic production levels fall short, leading to a significant reliance on imports from a limited group of countries.
The paper explores the concept of "critical" in critical minerals by highlighting the vulnerabilities in India's mineral supply chain. It examines the domestic challenges, including supply shortfalls and socio-environmental impacts while analyzing the global political economy of mineral resource flows in the context of India's energy transition.
It also underscores the importance of establishing low-cost economies of scale in mineral processing, promoting innovation and addressing socio-environmental concerns to secure a resilient supply chain.