INA strategic move, India has suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan. The effect will be felt when the drought on the other side of the dry range will be set. Conversely, imagine a landscape when nations exporting important minerals to India decide to stop supply.
A change in geopolitics can transform a friend into an enemy, a border conflict supply chain between opponents such as Russia and Ukraine may disrupt the supply chain, or the threat of export restrictions can become a concern for sourcing raw materials (think of China and its grip on rare earth). Therefore, there is a need to be self -sufficient in the production of vital minerals, metals and rare earth, which will help increase indigenous defense production. To maintain the military edge, the country must continue to increase the weapon with minimal dependence on import of major input materials.
India’s military expenses as part of GDP are 2.3%, while Pakistan spends 2.7%and Israel 8.8%for 2025 as per the report of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The press release by the Ministry of Defense states that 65%of the defense equipment is now manufactured within India, a significant innings of 65–70%from earlier import dependence. The components of indigenous defense capacity include 16 defense public sector undertakings, over 430 licensed companies and over 16,000 MSME.
As a value of rupee, India’s defense production in the financial year 2023-24, reached 1.27 lakh crore, marked a 174% increase since 2014-15, which confirms the change launched by the “Make in India” initiative. Defense exports hit a record ₹ 21,083 crore in 2023-24, expanding 30 times in a decade, exporting to more than 100 countries. The rise in exports can be held responsible for the resolution of the Central Government for becoming “self -sufficient” (self -sufficient) in military supply.
According to Research Fellow of Vidhi Center for Legal Policy, J Vinayak Ojha, DRDO’s Akash Air Defense System, Domesticly Advanced L/70 guns, and Brahmin missiles have proved themselves in the recent India-Pakistan struggle. What else do we build and export? Advanced Tow Artillery Gun (ATAGS), Dornier-228 aircraft, mine-protected vehicles, simulator, radar, Pinaka rocket and launcher, body armor, ammunition, thermal images and constituents of small weapons. Soon, uniform -minded nations will have more possibility of “weapons created in India”, which repeats the need to maintain the current production level within the country.
Essential minerals
According to SFA (Oxford), important minerals are essential in a price chain consultation, modern defense technologies. They increase the efficiency of performance, durability and monitoring, targeting and navigation, and are an important input in arms systems. Titanium, tungsten, nickel, lithium, girconium, and other important minerals and metals are used in a variety of military equipment such as aircraft, aircraft carriers, helicopters and carriers. Accurate-directed missiles rely on a series of important minerals for better performance.
What about rare earth elements (REES)? The co -ordinating of 17 metal elements with similar chemical properties enables advanced radar, sonar, laser guidance, communication and propulsion technologies, which ensures better precision, stability and flexibility in the combat environment. His role in laser weapons, and military-grade electrical equipment makes him inevitable for national security and technical superiority. They are an essential input in the production of magnets for guidance systems in accurately-directed sages such as missiles. Magnets made of rare earth such as neodimium and sperium are used in unmanned air -vehicles, bombs, propulsion systems and other military equipment. For example, an advanced fighter aircraft may have its electric motors, electronic warfare systems and radar more than 400 kg of REEs.
Copper has been informed as “important minerals” by Union Ministry of Coal and Mines. The sophisticated product is used extensively in military aircraft and naval and Coast Guard vessels, due to the underlying capacity to oppose the rust. When combined with the lead and nickel, copper helps in producing military gear and body armor that can withstand the effect and degeneration. Due to its excellent electrical conductivity and thermal properties, copper is available in electrical wiring, connectors, components of electronic systems and tanks and missiles. Copper Mishra, such as phosphor bronze, aluminum bronze, silicon bronze, copper-cromium alloy, copper-zirconium alloys, and copper-tangston, offer a series of properties suitable for various defense applications. Copper-Nickel Mishra, such as C70600 (90–10) and C71500 (70–30), are essential for marine environment in defense applications.
The drones, which were used extensively in the recent India-Pakistan conflict, require copper, carbon fiber, aluminum, plastic, lithium-ion and silicone. For aluminum, more than 80% of aircraft are made from this light metal, which is strong enough to lift heavy loads. The National Critical Mineral Mission launched in 2024 The objective is to strengthen India’s important mineral price chain in all stages from exploration and mining to profit, processing and end-of-life products, one initiative designed to ensure self-sufficiency in meeting the demand for important minerals. How many important minerals and metals are available in India? How many domestic companies are engaged in mining and production?
Critical reserve
Copper and Cobalt Ores: According to a report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January 2025, India has been blessed with huge mineral reserves, yet only 20% of India’s geological funds have been discovered till date. India has about 163.9 million tonnes of copper reserves, and about 44.9 million tonnes of cobalt ore resources.
Rare Earth: With a repository of 6.9 million tonnes, India ranks third in the reece, with China and Brazil on number 1 and 2 respectively. According to Investing News Network, India produced 2,900 million tonnes of rare earth in 2024.
However, some essential minerals have vulnerability. India is dependent on other countries for imports of lithium, nickel, vanadium, nebium and renium. There may be disruption in such dependence and ups and downs in value.
Companies in the area
In April, a financial website called ‘Equitymaster’ ranked top five Indian companies to see rare and important minerals:
Vedanta: Mining and metal is active in major zinc, silver, lead, aluminum, copper, nickel, oil and gas. As one of the largest aluminum producers in India, it is 60% of the country’s total aluminum production. The group holds a strong market position in the zinc segment and is the only manufacturer of Nickel of India.
NALCO: Navratna public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Mines is one of the largest integrated primary aluminum producers in Asia. It is a global leader in producing bauxite and alumina at low cost. In the bauxite refining process, a residue receives rare earth elements such as scandium and yttrium. In 2024–25, Nalco obtained a 50-year mining lease from the Odisha government for boxite mines, including 75 million tonnes of mineral reserves. In addition, it is a partnership with the Bhabha Atomic Research Center to develop technologies to remove rare earth elements.
Hindustan Copper: From vertical integrated copper productive mining to final conversion, is attached to all stages of final conversion in marketing products. HCL holds mining leases for more than 80% of copper stocks of copper of the country. The company has planned to allocate the expansion of the mine from ₹ 4.5 billion to ₹ 5 billion annually to meet the increase in demand of industrial users.
Coal India: The public sector undertaking has recently signed an MoU with the Indian rare Earth to collaborate on the development of important minerals, including rare earth elements. In addition, Coal India is also searching for lithium blocks in Argentina and attached to Chile to secure the supply of important minerals.
NMDC: Navratna PSU is India’s largest iron ore manufacturer, which is about 20% of the country’s demand. Beyond the iron ore, the NMDC has participated with Australia’s Hancock precedent for lithium and cobalt mining. The company is expected to diversify the nickel.
The contribution of the above five companies in important minerals will increase quality and productivity in hundreds of domestic companies engaged in defense construction and green energy transition initiatives. As progress inspires further progress, as the wheel of development reaches a new velocity, we can expect that India will continue to grow prominently on the world platform in important minerals, defense manufacturing and green energy infections.
(The author is a former journalist and advertising professional, now serving as a communication advisor; Views are individual)
Published – May 25, 2025 09:00 AM IST