Critical Minerals: Usage & Availability in India
The following periodic table highlights key critical minerals essential to modern technologies and strategic industries. Take a moment to review the visual layout along with the accompanying table detailing their diverse applications. This will give you valuable insight into their growing significance in today’s world. A little patience here will go a long way in understanding their impact.
| S. No. | Element (Symbol) | Atomic No. | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lithium (Li) | 3 | Energy Storage |
| 2 | Beryllium (Be) | 4 | Aerospace/Defense |
| 3 | Graphite (C) | 6 | Energy Storage |
| 4 | Silicon (Si) | 14 | Semiconductors |
| 5 | Phosphorous (P) | 15 | Fertilizer |
| 6 | Potash (K) | 19 | Fertilizer |
| 7 | Titanium (Ti) | 22 | Structural/Defense |
| 8 | Vanadium (V) | 23 | Alloying/Storage |
| 9 | Cobalt (Co) | 27 | Battery/Alloy |
| 10 | Nickel (Ni) | 28 | Battery/Alloy |
| 11 | Copper (Cu) | 29 | Conductivity/Energy |
| 12 | Gallium (Ga) | 31 | Semiconductor |
| 13 | Germanium (Ge) | 32 | Semiconductor |
| 14 | Selenium (Se) | 34 | Electronics/Solar |
| 15 | Strontium (Sr) | 38 | Pyrotechnics |
| 16 | Zirconium | 40 | Nuclear Reactors |
| 17 | Niobium | 41 | Superconducting Magnets |
| 18 | Molybdenum | 42 | Steel Alloys |
| 19 | PGE | — | |
| (i) | Ruthenium | 44 | Electronics/catalyst |
| (ii) | Rhodium | 45 | Catalytic converters |
| (iii) | Palladium | 46 | Catalytic Converters |
| (iv) | Osmium (Os) | 76 | Catalyst/Alloy |
| (v) | Iridium (Ir) | 77 | Spark plugs/Electronics |
| (vi) | Platinum (Pt) | 78 | Catalyst/Fuel Cells |
| 20 | Cadmium(Cd) | 48 | Ni-Cd Rechargeable batteries |
| 21 | Indium (In) | 49 | Display/Solar |
| 22 | Tin(Sn) | 50 | Solder/Coatings/Alloys |
| 23 | Antimony (Sb) | 51 | Flame Retardant/Alloy |
| 24 | Tellurium (Te) | 52 | Solar(CdTe)/Alloys |
| 25 | Hafnium (Hf) | 72 | Nuclear/Alloy |
| 26 | Tantalum (Ta) | 73 | Electronics |
| 27 | Tungsten (W) | 74 | Tools/Defense |
| 28 | Rhenium (Re) | 75 | Jet Engines |
| 29 | Bismuth (Bi) | 83 | Pharma/Alloy |
| 30 | Rare Earth Elements (REEs) | — | REE Group |
| i | Lanthanum (La) | 57 | 🔹Permanent magnets (Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb) 🔹Catalysts (Ce, La) 🔹Phosphors in LEDs and displays (Eu, Tb, Y) 🔹Optical and laser materials (Er, Tm, Ho) 🔹Nuclear and medical uses (Lu, Gd, Sm) |
| ii | Cerium (Ce) | 58 | |
| iii | Praseodymium (Pr) | 59 | |
| iv | Neodymium (Nd) | 60 | |
| v | Promethium (Pm) | 61 | |
| vi | Samarium (Sm) | 62 | |
| vii | Europium (Eu) | 63 | |
| viii | Gadolinium (Gd) | 64 | |
| ix | Terbium (Tb) | 65 | |
| x | Dysprosium (Dy) | 66 | |
| xi | Holmium (Ho) | 67 | |
| xii | Erbium (Er) | 68 | |
| xiii | Thulium (Tm) | 69 | |
| xiv | Ytterbium (Yb) | 70 | |
| xv | Lutetium (Lu) | 71 | |
| xvi | Scandium (Sc) | 21 | |
| xvii | Yttrium (Y) | 39 |
We’ll classify the minerals across three dimensions:
- Availability in India
- By-Product Recovery
- Strategic Use-Case Categories
🧭 Minerals Based on Indian Availability
🟩 A. Readily Available in India
✅ These minerals have either confirmed reserves or active production.
| Mineral | Key Uses |
|---|---|
| Copper | Clean tech, advanced manufacturing |
| Graphite | Clean tech |
| Nickel | Clean tech, defence, advanced manufacturing |
| PGE | Advanced manufacturing |
| Phosphorus | Fertilisers, advanced manufacturing |
| Potash | Fertilisers, water softeners |
| REE | Defence, zero-emission vehicles |
| Silicon | Semiconductors, ICT |
| Tin | Advanced manufacturing |
| Titanium | Defence, clean tech, manufacturing |
| Vanadium | Clean tech, manufacturing |
| Zircon | Found in multiple states (clean tech, adv. mfg) |
🧠 Memory Tip: 👉 Think of these as India’s “Mineral Strengths”—they’re already in our toolkit!
🟨 B. Reported / Limited Reserves – Potential, but Not Yet Utilized
⚠️ These are “available on paper,” but not commercially mined yet.
| Mineral | Location | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Cobalt | Reported, not specific | Clean technologies |
| Lithium | J&K and Rajasthan | EVs, defence, batteries, glass, ceramics |
| Molybdenum | Harur, Tamil Nadu | Advanced manufacturing |
| Hafnium | Found in zirconium compounds | Advanced manufacturing |
🧠 Mnemonic: “CLeMoHa” — Cobalt, Lithium, Molybdenum, Hafnium — India’s “Emerging Four”.
🟥 C. Not Available / No Production / No Reserves
🚫 These are strategic vulnerabilities for India—we are import-dependent.
| Mineral | Use Areas |
|---|---|
| Beryllium | Advanced manufacturing |
| Bismuth | Advanced manufacturing |
| Germanium | ICT, clean tech, manufacturing |
| Indium | Advanced manufacturing |
| Niobium | Clean tech, manufacturing |
| Rhenium | Advanced manufacturing |
| Selenium | Advanced manufacturing |
| Strontium | Advanced manufacturing |
| Tantalum | Clean tech, manufacturing |
| Tellurium | Clean technologies |
| Tungsten | Advanced manufacturing |
These are import-critical and highly strategic.
Here, “Advanced Manufacturing” refers to:
The use of innovative technology, high-precision processes, and cutting-edge materials to design and produce complex, high-performance products.
It typically involves:
- High-tech sectors like aerospace, defense, semiconductors, electronics, and medical devices.
- Modern techniques such as automation, AI, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing, and microfabrication.
- Performance-critical components that demand specific mineral properties—such as strength, conductivity, heat resistance, or miniaturization.
🔄 By-Product Recovery Minerals
These minerals aren’t mined directly but obtained during the processing of other ores.
| Mineral | Source Process |
|---|---|
| Antimony | By-product of lead-zinc-silver smelting |
| Cadmium | From zinc smelting |
| Gallium | From alumina production |
🚀 Strategic Use-Based Classification
| Use Area | Key Minerals |
|---|---|
| ✅ Clean Technologies | Lithium, Cobalt, Graphite, Nickel, Titanium, Vanadium, REE, Tellurium |
| ✅ Defence & Security | Lithium, Titanium, Nickel, REE |
| ✅ Information & Comm. | Gallium, Germanium, Silicon |
| ✅ Advanced Manufacturing | Molybdenum, Tungsten, Tantalum, Hafnium, PGE, Bismuth, etc. |
🧠 Memory Approach:
Group by Purpose, not just elements. So if a question mentions semiconductors or solar panels, your mind should jump to ICT minerals like Gallium, Germanium, and Silicon.
📌 State-wise Notable Concentrations (for map-based revision)
| State | Minerals Found |
|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | Molybdenum, Zircon, Titanium |
| Rajasthan | Lithium (reported), Phosphorus, Potash |
| Odisha | Titanium, Zircon |
| Andhra Pradesh | Titanium, Zircon |
| Kerala | Titanium, Zircon |
| Gujarat | Titanium, Zircon |
| J&K | Lithium (reported) |
| Maharashtra | Titanium, Zircon |
| MP, UP, Jharkhand | Phosphorus, Potash |
