Blurb: India is positioning itself as a global technology player by strengthening critical-mineral and advanced-material supply chains through domestic capabilities, research, industry partnerships and international cooperation.
New Delhi
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday said India is no longer a technology follower but a confident global player, stressing the need to build resilient value chains for critical minerals and advanced materials.
Addressing the 3rd Global Summit on Advanced Materials, Critical Minerals and Metals, Singh said India must combine domestic resources with international partnerships to strengthen capabilities across strategic sectors. He called for stronger early linkages between research institutions and industry so that innovations remain aligned with market needs and have better prospects of becoming commercially viable.
The minister said critical minerals and metals would play a decisive role in the next phase of technological development, with their significance extending beyond mining to energy security, industrial competitiveness and national security.
He highlighted clean energy, electric mobility, semiconductors, telecommunications, aerospace, defence and nuclear energy as major drivers of global technological transformation. Against this backdrop, India needs capabilities across the complete value chain, from exploration and extraction to refining, processing, engineering and manufacturing.
Singh emphasised a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach, with industry playing an integral role. He said domestic resources must be optimally combined with international resources while indigenous technologies are developed alongside globally competitive standards.
The minister also pointed to greater private-sector participation in strategic areas traditionally considered beyond its reach. He invited international investors and industries, including those from Canada, to explore opportunities created by India’s opening of the nuclear sector, which allows greater scope for foreign collaboration and domestic participation.