Parliament Question: Key Objective of NCMM

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 471 ANSWERED ON 03.08.2025 KEY OBJECTIVE OF NCMM

471. SHRI MUKESH KUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL:

DR. RAJESH MISHRA:

SHRI JASHUBHAI BHILUBHAI RATHVA:

SHRI CHANDAN CHAUHAN:

SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

DR. VINOD KUMAR BIND:

SHRI SHIVMANGAL SINGH TOMAR:

SHRI KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY:

SMT. MAHIMA KUMARI MEWAR:

SHRI BIBHU PRASAD TARAI:

SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

(a) the key objectives and components of the National Critical Minerals Mission

(NCMM);

(b) the role of the Centers of Excellence and industry-academia partnerships in advancing research and development in the processing of critical minerals;

(c) the initiatives taken to encourage participation of private sector and investment in the exploration and refining of critical minerals;

(d) the details of the measures taken by the Government to strengthen domestic capacity, reduce import dependence and ensure regional coherence in line with clean energy and national strategic goals;

(e) the details of the efforts made in this regard in Sidhi Lok Sabha Constituency; and

(f) the details of critical mining exploration taken by the Government in Rajasthan in recent past? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) The key objectives of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) are: i) To secure India's critical mineral supply chain by ensuring mineral availability from domestic and foreign sources.ii) Strengthening the critical mineral value chains by enhancing technological, regulatory, and financial ecosystems to foster innovation, skill development, and global competitiveness in mineral exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, and recycling.

The components of the NCMM are: i. Increasing Domestic Critical Minerals Production ii. Acquisition of Critical Mineral Assets Abroad iii. Recycling of Critical Minerals iv. Trade and Markets v. Scientific Research & Technological Advancement for Critical Minerals vi. Human Resource Development vii. Developing Effective Funding, Financing and Fiscal Incentives

(b) Ministry of Mines has recognised nine premier institutes as Centres of Excellence (CoEs) under the NCMM to carry out Research & Development (R&D) and strengthen domestic capabilities in critical mineral processing. Each CoE operates as a consortium, on a Hub & Spoke model, to leverage the core competence of constituent industry and academic spokes.

CoE plays a key role in advancing R&D in critical mineral processing by:  undertaking focused research to raise Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) up-to 7/8 in critical raw materials;  developing beneficiation, separation, extraction and recycling technologies for a wide range of primary, secondary and tertiary feedstocks;

 designing and fabricating innovative process equipment, specialty chemicals and reductants essential for mineral processing; and  applying data analytics for optimisation of beneficiation and extraction processes.

(c) Ministry of Mines has taken several initiatives to boost private-sector participation and investment, as under: i) Exploration Licenses (E.L.) regime has been introduced for deep-seated and critical minerals, under which, a share of auction premium will be payable to the EL holder, who explored it.

ii) 38 Private Exploration Agencies have been notified for taking up exploration projects with funding from National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust

(NMEDT). iii) The Ministry provides funding for Research and Development (R&D) projects to various Institutions/Laboratories/Start-ups/ MSMEs etc. iv) To encourage, and incentivize private-sector participation in mineral exploration, scheme for partial reimbursement of exploration expenses has been introduced forholders of Composite Licences (CL) (reimbursement of up to 50%, subject to a ceiling of ₹8 crore) and holders of Exploration Licence (EL) (up to 50% of expenses, with a maximum limit of ₹20 crore).

(d) To strengthen the critical mineral sector, the Ministry has undertaken several measures, which inter alia include:  Geological Survey of India (GSI) intensified exploration of critical and strategic minerals. GSI carried out 195 critical mineral exploration projects in 2024–25 and 230 projects in 2025–26 across the country. Additionally, NMEDT has sanctioned 62 projects for exploration of critical minerals during 2024-25 and 36 during 2025-26.

 The Mines and Mineral Development Act (MMDR), 1957 Act amended to expand the scope of NMEDT for supporting critical mineral exploration and mining overseas.  34 blocks of critical minerals successfully auctioned by Ministry of Mines.

 The Ministry has successfully auctioned 7 blocks of Exploration License, out of which, three are of critical minerals.  The Union Cabinet approved a ₹1,500 crore Incentive Scheme to develop recycling capacity for the separation and production of critical minerals from secondary sources. The Scheme Guidelines were issued by the Ministry on

02.10.2025 and scheme rolled out.  Guidelines for funding Pilot Projects for Recovery of Critical Minerals from overburden/tailings/fly ash/ Red mud etc. issued on 14 Nov 2025.  Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) has acquired five lithium brine blocks, in the Catamarca province of Argentina for exploration and development.

(e) In Sidhi Lok Sabha Constituency of Madhya Pradesh, GSI carried out four exploration projects for REE and graphite from 2022-23 to 2024-25 and during 2025- 26, GSI has taken up two exploration projects for REE and copper-graphite.

(f) In the last three years, GSI took up 220 mineral exploration projects on various mineral commodities in Rajasthan, including 88 exploration projects on critical and strategic minerals. During 2025-26, GSI has taken up 91 mineral exploration projects in Rajasthan for various mineral commodities, including 40 for critical and strategic minerals.

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