India-UK Minerals Tie Hits Milestone, Says Kishan
The satellite centre was inaugurated by Union Minister for coal and mines G. Kishan Reddy, alongside UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper.
Hyderabad: The India–United Kingdom strategic partnership in critical minerals marked a significant milestone on Thursday with the inauguration of the India–UK Critical Minerals Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO) satellite centre. The launch follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2025 announcement, during a bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to establish a supply-chain observatory for critical minerals.
The satellite centre was inaugurated by Union minister for coal and mines G. Kishan Reddy, alongside UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper.
Addressing the gathering, Kishan Reddy said the observatory would play a pivotal role in building secure, sustainable and reliable critical minerals supply chains worldwide. With the rapid expansion of clean energy, advanced technologies and digital transformation, he said, critical minerals have become the backbone of the global economy and the observatory would be central to developing the world’s largest digital material-flow map.
Under Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a developed India by 2047, the government is prioritising self-reliance in the critical minerals sector, Reddy said.
To support that goal, New Delhi has launched a $4-billion National Critical Minerals Mission aimed at strengthening systems across mineral discovery, exploration, processing, recycling and innovation.
To promote recycling of critical minerals, the government has rolled out a dedicated $180-million programme and set up nine Centres of Excellence across the country, he added. Measures include recovering valuable minerals from industrial waste and sourcing minerals from overseas where needed.
Reddy also outlined policy reforms to attract investment into the minerals sector, including transparent e-auctions, incentives for private companies and opportunities for junior mining firms. Faster approvals and a more business-friendly regime, he said, are positioning India among the most attractive destinations globally for minerals investment.
Kishan Reddy urged British industry, investors and technology firms to invest in India’s critical minerals ecosystem.
He said the UK’s strengths in mineral processing and extraction technologies can accelerate growth in India’s electric vehicle, defence, aerospace and semiconductor sectors. He expressed confidence that the observatory would evolve into a globally recognised centre for critical-minerals intelligence, providing valuable data and insights to industry, researchers and investors.
The GSCO initiative is a joint effort led by the ministry of mines, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Texmin and the Technology Translation Research Park under the Department of Science & Technology, with academic collaboration from the University of Cambridge.
The launch was attended by representatives from the UK Foreign Office, officials of the British High Commission, Cambridge University delegates and senior officials from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Texmin and the ministry of mines.
