Critical Minerals Move from Mines to the Bin - India Opens the Secondary Supply Layer

On 21 September 2026 the Ministry of Mines launched a Concept Paper on the Critical Mineral Recycling Ecosystem, positioning secondary recovery from e-waste, industrial waste and end-of-life products as a complement to primary mining and overseas offtake. It moves India's critical-minerals policy to the secondary supply layer - the only one that can cut import dependence without waiting for new mines to reach production.