Mine over matter: Critical mineral policy must address industry needs

The government has offered manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs), mobile phones, solar panels, and other renewable-energy equipment significant incentives and subsidies. Critical to the operations of such manufacturers is an uninterrupted and robust supply chain of critical minerals that power these industries — lithium, nickel, cobalt, tungsten and graphite, cadmium, chromium, and so on. Building domestic sources of these minerals, then, is essential not only to ensure that climate-change goals are met but that India can build a degree of security and competitive advantage in manufacturing these products of the future. Set against these objectives, which involve