New Delhi is expected to finalise a critical minerals stockpiling policy within a month as it seeks to protect strategic industries from import disruptions and volatile global markets.
India is expected to finalise a policy for stockpiling critical minerals within about a month, a move aimed at reducing import dependence and protecting strategic industries from supply disruptions. Mines Secretary Keshav Chandra said the framework is nearing completion, according to reports in The Indian Express and Moneycontrol, as New Delhi looks to create a buffer against shortages in materials used across defence, aerospace, electronics, electric vehicles and clean energy. The plan comes as governments around the world reassess exposure to volatile mineral supply chains and price swings.
The proposed reserve would cover minerals central to industrial and energy transition supply chains, including copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, according to the reports. One account cited the possibility of a reserve lasting as long as six months, although officials have not confirmed the final duration, the list of minerals to be included or the operational rules for procurement and release. That uncertainty matters because the usefulness of any stockpile will depend not just on its size, but also on how quickly materials can be drawn down when markets tighten.
The stockpiling proposal sits within a broader push to strengthen India’s critical mineral security. A policy note cited by IMPRI India says the National Critical Mineral Mission, launched in 2025, carries a budget of ₹34,300 crore over seven years and covers exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing and recycling. The same programme aims to complete 1,200 domestic exploration projects by 2030-31 and secure production of at least 15 critical minerals, while also supporting overseas acquisitions and tax changes to aid refining.
India has already moved to ease one bottleneck by exempting 25 critical minerals from customs duties in the 2024-25 budget, according to S&P Global. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at the time that the changes were meant to support processing and refining and help shield key sectors from supply-chain shocks. The new stockpile plan appears designed to complement that effort by providing a short-term safety net while domestic capacity is built out.
Alongside the reserve, the government is developing four mineral processing parks in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, according to the reports from The Indian Express and Moneycontrol. Those facilities are meant to add domestic value to materials such as rare earths, lithium, nickel, titanium and zirconium, reducing reliance on imported processed products. Officials and industry watchers say the policy’s real test will be whether India can align stockpiling, domestic mining, recycling and overseas sourcing into a system that is fast enough to matter when supply chains are strained.
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