Highlights

• Parliamentary report urges tighter ministry coordination to advance India's self-reliance in lithium, graphite, cobalt, and rare earths under Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Administrative bottlenecks, not geology, slow India's progress; faster approvals and predictable policy would attract capital and reduce execution risk.
• Coordination alone won't suffice—India needs sustained funding, midstream processing capacity, environmental credibility, and global partnerships to compete with China's decades-long dominance.

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A recent parliamentary committee report, summarized by The Hindu BusinessLine (opens in a new tab), urges tighter coordination across ministries to advance India’s self-reliance in lithium, graphite, cobalt, and rare earths under the Atmanirbhar Bharat (opens in a new tab) banner.

The premise resonates: fragmented governance slows projects, delays permitting, and blunts capital deployment. For a country seeking strategic autonomy in energy transition and defense inputs, alignment across mining, environment, power, industry, and finance is table stakes.

What Makes Sense: Fix the State Before Fixing the Supply Chain

The call for “seamless coordination” is grounded. India’s bottlenecks are not merely geological; they are administrative and institutional. Faster approvals, predictable policy, and clear ownership of outcomes would reduce execution risk and attract private capital. This is especially relevant where midstream processing—separation, refining, and metallization—demands long lead times, environmental clarity, and reliable offtake.

Where It Overreaches: Self-Reliance as a Shortcut

The rhetoric risks overselling speed. China’s dominance in rare earth processing was built over decades with subsidies, losses, and integrated demand. India’s reserves and talent are real, but self-reliance does not equal self-sufficiency—especially not quickly. Without explicit plans for solvent extraction capacity, waste handling, skills, and downstream demand (magnets, alloys), coordination alone won’t close the gap.

The Subtle Bias: Policy Confidence vs. Market Reality

Parliamentary optimism tends to emphasize intent over economics. Global markets will judge on cost curves, yields, and reliability. Absent price support, anchor customers, or allied offtakes, projects may stall despite coordination. The report underplays recycling, substitution, and alliances—critical levers to de-risk timelines.

Bottom Line

India’s diagnosis is correct: coordination matters. The prescription is incomplete. Success will hinge on sustained funding, midstream build-out, environmental credibility, and global partnerships—not slogans.

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