Critical Minerals, Marine Resources and Nuclear Power Drive India’s Energy Security Plan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined a comprehensive energy security strategy that hinges on critical minerals, marine resource exploration and nuclear power expansion.

The National Critical Minerals Mission, announced in the recent budget, aims to secure supply chains for minerals essential to modern technologies such as AI, semiconductors and data centres. A critical minerals corridor will facilitate international agreements, boosting confidence in India’s role as a reliable partner.

Marine resources are also a priority. The "Samudra Manthan" initiative, now backed by an allocation of Rs 85,000 crore, seeks to explore and develop offshore mineral and energy deposits. Previously, 99 % of coastal zones were off‑limits; the policy shift now opens these areas for sustainable exploitation.

On the power front, Modi set an ambitious target of 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047, citing the passage of the Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation Act as a catalyst for new opportunities. He stressed that future energy demand, driven by AI, semiconductor and data‑center growth, can only be met with a diversified mix that includes nuclear, renewable and gas‑based sources.

The speech also highlighted achievements such as expanding piped natural gas from 70 to 700 cities and increasing household connections from roughly 2 million to 17.5 million, as well as growing solar capacity from 2 GW to 160 GW.