Roundtable underscores strategic importance of critical minerals for India's defence preparedness

New Delhi [India], December 23 : The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), in collaboration with IP Bazzaar, hosted Tech Talk, a high-level, closed-door roundtable discussion on the theme "Minerals That Matter: Geopolitics, Sovereignty and Value Chains" last week here in the national capital.

In his keynote address, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) highlighted that critical minerals have emerged as a strategic enabler for national security, defence capability development, and technological sovereignty.

According to a Ministry of Defence statement, he noted that modern defence systems including jet engines, missiles, precision munitions, radars, satellites, batteries, and semiconductors are intrinsically dependent on assured access to these minerals.

Air Marshal Dixit emphasised that global supply chains for critical minerals are highly concentrated and increasingly subject to export controls and geopolitical pressures, making excessive import dependence a strategic vulnerability.

He observed that self-reliant defence manufacturing and operational readiness are inseparable from secure and resilient mineral supply chains, aligned with India's vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Addressing recent national efforts, the Air Marshal drew attention to India's initiatives such as the identification of critical minerals, the establishment of the National Critical Mineral Mission, and the government's push to enhance the entire value chain - from extraction to processing, manufacturing, and recycling.

These efforts, he noted, are crucial for translating India's policy intentions into concrete outcomes.

As part of the event, he also inaugurated a collection of 30 technical reports on critical minerals, showcasing in-depth IP landscape studies and market analyses.

The invitation-only forum convened senior policymakers, defence experts, industry leaders, technology innovators, academia, and intellectual property (IP) professionals to explore India's strategic approach to critical minerals in the context of a rapidly evolving global environment. The event received the gracious best wishes of G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of Coal and Mines, Government of India.

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