The Ministry of Mines (MoM) on January 19, 2026, issued the Policy for Exploration of Critical Minerals in New Projects and Recovery of Critical Minerals from Overburden, Dumps and Tailings of Existing Mines, 2025.
The following has been stated namely: -
• The policy aims to promote systematic exploration of critical and strategic minerals in new mining projects and facilitate their recovery from overburden, dumps, and tailings of existing mines to reduce India’s import dependence.
• It emphasizes identification and extraction of minerals such as lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, nickel, and graphite through advanced exploration techniques and recovery from secondary sources previously treated as waste.
• The policy provides for regulatory support and incentives under the MMDR Act, 1957, creation of comprehensive databases of secondary mineral resources, inter-agency coordination among central and state authorities, and encouragement of research and technology development.
• Overall, the policy seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains and support sectors critical to clean energy, electronics, defence, and electric mobility.
Detailed notification is attached below.
