Overview

• Speaking at the National Geoscience Awards 2024 in New Delhi, she framed rare earth self-reliance as vital for a developed India and national security.
• She called rare earths the backbone of modern technology powering smartphones, electric vehicles, defense systems and clean energy.
• She stressed that the challenge is the complexity of refining rather than scarcity, urging homegrown capability for the full value chain.
• She urged development of technologies to tap seafloor minerals with minimal harm to marine biodiversity and better protection for workers.
• She emphasized strict environmental compliance, proper mine-closure procedures, AI and drone-based surveys, and recovery of valuable elements from tailings to reduce waste.