Delhi has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, paving the way for private companies to mine rare minerals on Wednesday, Indian media reported.
The minerals include:
lithium;
beryllium;
titanium;
niobium;
tantalum;
zirconium.
These minerals are crucial in electric vehicle technologies, space tech, electronics, and communications, among other things.
As of now, no private companies in India are allowed to mine these minerals.
In January, the Geological Survey of India claimed to have found 5.9 million metric tons of lithium in Jammu and Kashmir, valued at around $410 billion.