Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Government of India is aware of the shortage of rare earth minerals in the country and added that the GoI is committed at achieving a self-reliance in the sector. Addressing an event in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, PM Modi said that the National Critical Mission will help India unearth rare minerals within the country. PM Modi’s remark comes ahead of his visit to China and Japan. China is the biggest supplier of the rare earth minerals and has recently eased export restrictions after bilateral talks. PM Modi will be visiting China on August 31 and September 1 to participate in the SCO summit.
PM Hails NCMM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that exploration missions will be carried out under the newly launched National Critical Mineral Mission across the country. “The Indian government is also aware of the shortage of rare earth manganese for the auto industry. To increase the capacity of the industry in this direction, we have also launched the National Critical Mineral Mission. Under this, more exploration missions will be conducted at different places in the country, and critical minerals will be discovered,” said the Prime Minister.
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Modi’s Message To States
Talking about India’s progress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country is not going to stop here and aims to do even better in the sectors where it has performed well. PM Modi said that today, India’s emphasis is on ‘Mission Manufacturing’. He added that India will focus on futuristic industries in the coming times.
“Mobile phone production has increased by 2700% percent in comparison to 2014. Defence production has also increased by more than 200% in comparison to the last decade. All these facts are motivating all the states of India. A healthy competition has started among them regarding reforms and investment, which is benefiting the whole country and I have been telling all the states in every meeting, that we have to be proactive,” said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister urged states to make polices to attract investors. “We have to make pro-development policies. We have to emphasise a single window clearance… In today’s competitive era, states that keep their policies neat, clean, and investor-friendly gain more trust from investors. Investors then come confidently. The whole world is looking at India, and no state should lag behind. Every state should seize opportunities, creating competition that compels investors to choose India over any other country,” he said.
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PM On EVs, Battery Manufacturing
Prime Minister Modi, who inaugurated the next phase of India’s battery ecosystem with the start of local production of hybrid battery electrodes at TDS Lithium-Ion Battery plant in Gujarat, said that the foundation of the plant was laid in 2017. TDS Lithium-Ion Battery plant is a joint venture of Toshiba, Denso and Suzuki.
“We all know that the most critical part of the EV ecosystem is the battery. Until a few years ago, batteries were entirely imported. To strengthen EV manufacturing, it was essential for India to also produce batteries. With this vision, we laid the foundation of the TDSG battery plant here in 2017…,” said PM Modi.
Modi On India-Japan Ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he will be visiting Japan next week. “The relationship between India and Japan goes far beyond diplomatic ties, it is a bond of culture and trust. We see our progress reflected in each other’s growth. The journey we began with Maruti Suzuki has now reached the speed of a bullet train,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that India has the power of democracy, advantage of demography and large pool of Skilled Workforce which creates a Win-Win Situation for every Partner. “Today, Suzuki Japan is manufacturing in India, and the cars made here are being exported back to Japan. This is not only a symbol of the strength of the relationship between India and Japan, but also reflects the global confidence in India. In a way, companies like Maruti Suzuki have become brand ambassadors of Make in India… Now, the EVs that will run in dozens of countries around the world will have written on them- Made In India..,” he said.
