India exempts mining of critical minerals from public consultations to secure raw materials vital for electronics, EVs, and clean energy, reducing reliance on China.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has exempted mining of critical, strategic, and atomic minerals from all forms of public consultations under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. The decision, issued on September 8, was based on requests from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), citing national defence and security needs. Projects will still face comprehensive appraisal by central-level expert committees.
The MoD underlined the importance of rare earth elements (REEs) for defence applications, stating: “Accordingly, the Ministry of Defence has requested that mining projects related to critical and strategic minerals may be considered as projects concerning National Defence and security or involving other strategic considerations and may be exempted from public consultations for the grant of Environmental Clearances.” Applications include radar, sonar, lasers, avionics, missile guidance systems, and permanent magnets critical to defence equipment.
The DAE highlighted the role of thorium in India’s third-stage atomic energy programme and the need for uranium in current nuclear power generation. “This requires enhancement of production of these minerals by way of operationalization of new deposits of uranium and beach sand minerals in the country,” the DAE noted.
The exemption covers uranium, thorium, monazite, zircon, and critical minerals such as cobalt, gallium, indium, tantalum, tellurium, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, and graphite. These resources are essential for semiconductors, EV batteries, solar panels, and advanced electronics.
India’s reliance on China for rare earths was exposed during Chinese export curbs earlier this year, which disrupted electronics and clean-tech supply chains. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal warned industries that steel firms may face similar risks.
The new exemption, combined with fast-track forest clearance amendments and a dedicated portal category, is expected to boost domestic supply, reduce import dependence, and strengthen India’s electronics and renewable energy manufacturing ecosystem.
