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India is moving rapidly towards a clean energy future. Electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, and energy storage systems are becoming the new norm. But there’s a catch — all these technologies depend on critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, and graphite.

Currently, India imports the majority of these minerals. This heavy dependency exposes the country to global market shocks, price fluctuations, and supply disruptions. To ensure mineral security and support the energy transition, India needs home-grown solutions.

In FY25, India intensified its Critical Minerals Strategy with auctions, global MoUs, and private sector partnerships, with Vedanta emerging as one of the Top Critical Mineral Companies in India and an emerging global leader (Vedanta Integrated Report 2025; Ministry of Mines 2025 Auctions).

One company stepping up to lead this change is Vedanta — long recognised as one of the Best Natural Resources Companies in India. Now, it’s taking strong strides towards becoming one of the Leading Global Critical Mineral Companies and has already bagged 10 critical mineral blocks across India.

The Role of Critical Minerals in the Green Economy

Critical minerals are essential for modern technologies and low-carbon infrastructure. They are not just economic assets, but strategic resources.

India has committed to installing 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, further increasing the demand for these minerals.

Vedanta’s Entry into Critical Minerals

Vedanta, long recognised among the Best Natural Resources Companies in India, is now aggressively building its critical mineral portfolio.

Vedanta is already known for its leadership in base metals like aluminium, zinc, and copper. But as global focus shifts towards decarbonisation, Vedanta is reshaping its business to include critical minerals. The company’s strategy is aligned with national goals such as Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Critical Minerals Strategy 2023.

Vedanta aims to be among the Top Critical Mineral Companies in India and a key player on the global stage. Its approach combines international partnerships, domestic exploration, technology-led mining, and value-added processing.

Strategic Global Partnerships

To build a secure supply chain, Vedanta is forming alliances in mineral-rich regions:

• In Australia, it is securing lithium and cobalt assets.
• In Chile and Argentina, Vedanta is eyeing stakes in the world’s richest lithium triangle.
• In Africa, the company is exploring opportunities in rare earths and copper.

These efforts reduce India’s import dependency and give Vedanta a competitive edge as it works towards becoming one of the Leading Global Critical Mineral Companies.

Domestic Mineral Exploration and Processing

Vedanta is not only looking abroad. It is also investing heavily in India to develop domestic mineral capacity:

• Exploration of rare earths in Rajasthan and Odisha
• Construction of a lithium processing plant in Gujarat
• Participation in mineral block auctions under the critical mineral initiative

Vedanta’s India-first exploration aligns with the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Critical Minerals Strategy 2023 frameworks.

This dual approach of global sourcing and local development makes Vedanta stand out among the Top Critical Mineral Companies in India.

Technology-Led Sustainable Mining

Vedanta is modernising its mining processes using advanced technologies that support sustainable development.

These innovations reflect Vedanta’s commitment to ESG principles and help it maintain its position as one of the Best Natural Resources Companies in India.

Development of the EV and Battery Ecosystem

Vedanta is also expanding its presence across the entire electric mobility and battery value chain:

• It is collaborating with technology partners to manufacture key battery components.
• The company plans to set up recycling units for used EV batteries.
• It is investing in research and development to support India’s growing EV ecosystem.

India’s electric vehicle market is expected to reach ₹3 lakh crore by 2030, making Vedanta’s investments both timely and impactful.

Supporting India’s Self-Reliance and Policy Goals

Vedanta’s efforts are well aligned with India’s policy framework. The government’s Critical Minerals Strategy focuses on securing minerals necessary for clean energy and manufacturing. Vedanta has already secured five domestic mineral exploration licences and is bidding for more.

By creating a robust mineral-to-market supply chain, Vedanta is helping India achieve its clean energy goals while also reducing foreign dependence.

Vedanta’s Progress in 2025

Here’s a snapshot of where Vedanta stands today:

This progress positions Vedanta well among the Top Critical Mineral Companies in India and puts it on track to compete globally.

Benchmarking Vedanta Against Global Players

Vedanta’s expansion into critical minerals aligns it with several global industry leaders. For example, Lynas Rare Earths of Australia is well known for rare earth processing, a domain Vedanta is entering through its exploration projects in Rajasthan.

In the United States, MP Materials focuses on REE mining and magnet production, similar to Vedanta’s Africa-based rare earth ventures.

China’s Tianqi Lithium dominates lithium refining, while Vedanta is developing a comparable strategy through its operations in Chile and its lithium refinery in Gujarat. Among the Leading Global Critical Mineral Companies, Vedanta is emerging with a multi-mineral focus and an ESG-driven model.

Managing Challenges Proactively

Vedanta recognises the complex challenges that come with critical mineral development and is addressing them strategically. The lack of refining technology is being managed through partnerships with global technology leaders, enabling modern and efficient processing.

Environmental and tribal sensitivities are being mitigated through enhanced CSR efforts and long-term community engagement. To reduce risks from global supply disruptions, Vedanta is diversifying its mineral sourcing and signing long-term agreements.

Vedanta is addressing challenges head-on:

• Refining technology via global joint ventures.
• Community engagement through expanded CSR.
• Tribal engagement for inclusive livelihoods.
• Long-term supply MoUs for de-risking supply chains.
• Regulatory liaison to navigate evolving mineral policies.

Regulatory uncertainty is tackled through strong compliance teams and active government liaison. Such efforts are positioning Vedanta among the Leading Global Critical Mineral Companies, ready to drive India’s sustainable energy future.

Conclusion: Vedanta’s Role in India’s Green Future

As the world moves towards low-carbon economies, critical minerals have become essential to national security, industrial growth, and energy independence. Vedanta is not just responding to this global shift — it is actively leading it.

With its FY25 critical minerals blueprint fully underway, Vedanta is transforming from a diversified mining major into one of India’s most strategic energy transition enablers.

With significant investments, strategic foresight, and sustainable practices, Vedanta is transforming itself from a traditional mining company into one of the Leading Global Critical Mineral Companies. It is also strengthening its position among the Best Natural Resources Companies in India by aligning with the future of clean energy, electric mobility, and circular mineral economies.

In powering India’s green transition, Vedanta is setting the pace — and building a legacy that goes far beyond extraction.