New Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that India has been taking active steps to secure critical minerals and is signing agreements with multiple countries to strengthen the supply chains of these resources.

He also said that many nations worldwide are now trusting India in its pursuit of critical minerals.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, Modi said that the entire technology sector depends on critical minerals.

"Discussion is taking place regarding critical minerals...The goals for critical minerals are being shared; we have launched the National Critical Mineral Mission. In the budget, we announced the Critical Mineral Corridor.

"Agreements are being made with multiple countries. Many nations worldwide are now trusting India in this pursuit of critical minerals," he said.

The government has earmarked Rs 16,300 crore for the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), while public sector enterprises are expected to contribute Rs 18,000 crore. NCMM also seeks to promote exploration of critical minerals within the country.

Critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earths are essential raw materials for clean energy technologies. Their applications span wind turbines, electricity networks, electric vehicles and battery manufacturing.

The government plans to set up four dedicated critical mineral processing parks across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to fast-track value addition for key battery materials.

These parks will focus on creating element-specific ecosystems, with individual facilities designed to specialise in critical minerals such as lithium and nickel, two raw materials being prioritised for the battery sector, and downstream processing for the remaining critical minerals will follow.

Under the plan, each park will host an integrated value chain, from processing to downstream industries, for a designated element for full value addition at one location.