Page 3 - Minerals

China rare earth exports rise to six-month high on July shipment surge

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said earlier this month that China was "about halfway there" in terms of returning magnet supplies to where they were prior to the controls

Centre speeds approvals for critical minerals, no exemption from green law

The Environment Ministry has set up a separate category on its online clearance portal to speed up approvals for mining projects involving critical minerals, a move aimed at boosting domestic supply of resources considered essential for clean energy and advanced technologies, the government informed Parliament on Monday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said the Mines Ministry had in February requested faster clearances for such projects, following which the new facility was added to the Parivesh 2.0 portal on March 13. The step comes after amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, which gave the Centre powers to auction 24 minerals identified as critical and strategic. These include lithium, nickel, tungsten, titanium and graphite, which India largely imports but needs for sectors such as defence, electronics and renewable energy. So far, 34 blocks of these minerals have been auctioned acr

Self sufficiency in critical minerals a work in progress, says PM Modi

Highlighting government efforts, PM Modi said the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) has already been launched, with exploration work underway at more than 1,200 locations

MMDR Bill proposes mine expansion, relief on critical mineral charges

Bill allows easier lease expansion for deep-seated minerals, waives charges for critical minerals, removes captive sale cap, and sets up mineral exchanges to boost mining output

Govt targets critical minerals security through mining law changes

The proposal, aimed at securing long-term access to resources like lithium, copper, cobalt, and rare earth elements, comes amid tightening global supply and rising geopolitical risks

Only nominated firms to mine offshore uranium, thorium under new norms

The new rules notified under the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, are aimed at unlocking India's offshore atomic mineral potential

Maruti says engineers working to mitigate rare earth magnet shortage issue

Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday said its engineers are working to mitigate the rare earth magnet shortage issue, noting that there has been no impact on its production so far. In an analyst call post the company's June quarter financial results, Maruti Suzuki India Senior Executive Officer Corporate Affairs Rahul Bharti termed the shortage a challenging situation. "So, it is a challenge, and of course, our engineers are working to mitigate it and ensure that we do not have the impact of this. "So, it's work in progress, but as of now, we are managing the situation. If and when there is an impact, we'll come back to you to answer your question," Bharti replied to a query on the matter. The recent imposition of export restrictions by China on key rare earth magnets has resulted in supply chain bottlenecks, impacting the user industries, including the auto and electronics sectors. China currently dominates the global rare earth magnet supply chain, controlling over 90 per cent of glo

Rare earths not rare, their concentration is: GSI chief Asit Saha

At present, GSI has almost 240 projects on critical minerals, including around 100 related to rare earth

China built a rare earth empire-India is still stuck in the mines

Despite hosting the world's third largest known reserves of rare earths, these critical minerals will remain a critical challenge for India

DAE exploring rare earth elements in key areas across India: G Kishan Reddy

The exploration and augmentation of rare earth group elements in many potential geological areas in the country is being carried out by a unit of the Department of Atomic Energy, the Parliament was informed on Monday. China's restrictions on the export of rare earth elements and related magnets are affecting the domestic auto and white goods sectors. Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, coal and mines minister G Kishan Reddy said, "Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is carrying out exploration and augmentation of rare earth group elements along coastal/ inland/ riverine placer sands, as well as in hard rock terrains in several potential geological domains in the country." The minister further said that as on date, AMD has estimated approximately 7.23 million tonnes (MT) of in-situ Rare Earth Elements Oxide (REO) contained in 13.15 MT of monazite in coastal beach, teri/red sand and inland alluvium

China's exports of rare earth magnets to the US skyrocket in June

China, which provides more than 90 per cent of global supply of rare earth magnets, decided in early April to add several rare earth items to its export restriction list in retaliation for US tariffs

India in talks with Australia to source rare earth minerals, says official

India is in talks with Australia to source rare earth minerals, an Australian official said on Tuesday. The development assumes significance in the wake of rare earth magnet shortage caused by Chinese export restrictions. "They (India and Australia) are talking about rare earth and there are blocks available. So there is an opportunity for India to take an early-stage block and have tie-ups with a few companies," Malini Dutt, Trade and Investment Commissioner, New South Wales Government, Australia, said. Besides rare earth, both private and public sectors in India have shown interest in copper blocks in Australia, she said on the sidelines of India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2025, organised by India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA). "There is a lot of interest around copper as well, given some of the conversations I have had. The interest is both from private sector and a PSU which is quite on the hunt for copper (blocks), Malini said. You are aware there are smelters and companies

'Argentina's lithium reserves of great interest to India', says MEA

Indian public sector companies are 'working out the implementation of the investments' in the Latin Amercian country to produce, refine, and export minerals, the MEA said

Tata Steel gets ₹1,902 crore demand over Sukinda Mine dispatch shortfall

Revised assessment cites breach of mineral rules and shortfall in dispatches from Sukinda Chromite Block; Tata Steel plans legal action against the demand

PM Modi's foreign tour aims to boost cooperation in critical minerals

Prime Minister Modi's foreign tour focuses on enhancing cooperation in critical minerals, with key visits to Ghana, Namibia, and Argentina, as India seeks to secure essential resources for its economy

Quad countries are major maritime partners, says US State dept official

US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mignon Houston said that Quad countries understand the maritime issues that countries face

Quad launches critical minerals push as PM eyes Latin America deals

Quad foreign ministers unveil minerals initiative amid China concerns as PM Modi begins visits to Argentina, Brazil, Ghana and Namibia to secure strategic resources

Quad launches major initiative to steady supply of critical minerals

In a significant move, the Quad grouping has launched an initiative to ensure the availability of critical minerals under a broader goal to strengthen economic security amid concerns over China's coercive tactics, including price manipulation in the sector. The decision on rolling out the "Quad Critical Minerals Initiative" was announced after a meeting of foreign ministers of the member nations of the grouping in the US capital on Tuesday. A readout of the meeting said the new initiative is an "ambitious expansion" of the Quad partnership to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating on securing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya. "This new flagship initiative, alongside the high-impact programmes and outcomes the Quad is realising, will enable our four ...

PM Modi emphasises India's commitment to BRICS, begins 5-nation visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India is committed to BRICS as a vital platform for cooperation among emerging economies as he left on a week-long visit to five countries, including Brazil where he will attend the bloc's meeting. "Together, we strive for a more peaceful, equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order," he said in his departure statement. During the week-long travel, the PM will visit Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia. Ghana will be his first port of call. Modi said that at the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama, he will be there on July 2 and 3. Ghana is a valued partner in the Global South and plays an important role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, he said, adding that he looked forward to talks aimed at further deepening the two countries' historical ties and opening up new windows of cooperation, including in the areas of investment, energy, health, security,

US, Indo-Pacific partners agree to strengthen maritime cooperation

The United States. Australia, India and Japan have agreed to expand their cooperation on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and further collaborate on supplies of critical minerals and rare earths that are key components of high-tech production. The foreign ministers of the four countries, known as the "Quad", met in Washington on Tuesday as the Trump administration seeks to expand US influence in the Indo-Pacific to compete with a rising China amid tensions with partners over trade and defense issues. In a joint meeting with his three colleagues, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Quad must be a vehicle for action that goes beyond statements of intent and stressed that commerce and trade will be critical to ensuring the group's relevance in the future. To that end, the four announced in a statement the creation of a Quad Critical Minerals Initiative that aims to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating on securing and diversifying critical ...