These critical minerals are now embedded in everything India wants to build: defence platforms, power grids, digital infrastructure, electric mobility and renewable energy systems. ADVERTISEMENTThe Union budget proposed the idea of developing critical mineral corridors, reflecting an official recognition that India’s exposure to mineral supply risks is no longer hypothetical but systemic. The United States of America has invoked the Defence Production Act to classify critical minerals as strategic assets. For India, recycling is not merely an environmental obligation; it is the quickest route to mineral resilience. Unless mineral demand is mapped, vulnerabilities quantified, and recycling systems integrated at scale, India risks discovering its exposure only after constraints tighten.

Source: The Telegraph February 14, 2026 02:47 UTC