India’s path to strategic autonomy will depend heavily on securing access to critical materials, observed Dr VK Saraswat, Member of NITI Aayog and Padma Bhushan awardee, during a lecture at the CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR-NML) on Wednesday.
The address formed part of NML’s Platinum Jubilee lecture series, commemorating 75 years since its founding in 1950.
Delivering a keynote on “Critical Materials for India’s Strategic Future,” Dr Saraswat emphasised the growing strategic significance of rare and essential materials used in clean energy technologies, defence applications, and emerging sectors.
“These materials are no longer just industrial commodities—they have become foundational to national security and economic sovereignty,” he said.
The event began with a welcome by Dr Sandeep Ghosh Chaudhury, Director of CSIR-NML, who noted the laboratory’s longstanding commitment to metallurgical research and its contributions to India’s scientific advancement.
Dr Saraswat presented a detailed overview of global dependencies, particularly the concentration of refining capabilities in a handful of nations, and the risks this poses to India’s energy transition goals.
He highlighted the reliance of electric vehicle batteries, wind turbine components, and semiconductors on a narrow set of critical inputs, most of which are imported.
He further outlined India’s policy response under the National Mission on Critical Minerals 2025, detailing the identification of high-priority materials, gaps in domestic processing capacity, and the need for strategic stockpiles.
Pointing to the challenges of emissions, resource security, and global competition, he stressed the need for a circular economy model and innovation-led solutions.
Artificial intelligence, he noted, offers transformative potential in optimising material flows and processing techniques, and institutions like NML can play a pivotal role by advancing research in low-grade ore utilisation and secondary resource recovery.
Recalling his longstanding association with CSIR-NML, Dr Saraswat lauded its scientific legacy and called for deeper collaborations to address national priorities.
The lecture concluded with a robust question-and-answer session, where students, researchers, and industry professionals engaged with the speaker on future challenges and opportunities.
The session underscored not only the laboratory’s historical importance but also its continuing relevance in shaping India’s strategic and technological frontiers.