Vishnu Venugopalan

India's critical minerals: EV boom ahead, but policy gaps persist The Centre has also extended the concessional Customs duty of 5 per cent on Li-ion cells until March 2026 👉 https://mybs.in/2dXTFq0 #CriticalMinerals #EVBoom #India #LiIonCells #CustomsDuty #PolicyUpdate #SustainableEnergy #ElectricVehicles #IndiaPolicy

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Some numbers to bring out the fiscal challenges related to the green transition. - State and Central government revenue (direct and indirect) from fossil fuels account for over 3% of GDP - This is higher than the entire defence budget of India (2% of GDP) The transition to a carbon-free world is not only a technological challenge but also a huge fiscal challenge. While our Net Zero target might seem really far away (2070), kicking the can down the road is not an option.

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India’s critical minerals auction is facing challenges, with only 14 out of 38 blocks finding bidders. Experts point to unclear reserve data and weak policy support as key reasons for low interest. As India aims for self-reliance in critical minerals, stronger frameworks and industry expertise are needed to meet this crucial demand. Nitin Kumar Read Business Standard to know more: https://mybs.in/2dZ0teu #CriticalMinerals #MiningIndia #SelfReliance #MineralExploration #SustainableResources #MiningInnovation #EconomicGrowth #PolicySupport #BusinessStandard #nitinaayog #India #GDP #netnutrality #climatechange #Vedanta #nickel, #chromium, #PGE. #DalmiaBharatRefractories #graphite #CoalIndia

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An engaging view of India's foreign policy concerns and areas that will need our attention. Ambassador Sujan R Chinoy, Director general of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses is worth a deep listen, this election season - making the case for balanced aggression (my phrase). While it needs an entire post in itself - the political debates in GE-24 continue to remain at the level of pedestrian idealism perpetuated by the intellectual grandees of socialism/leftism/left-liberalism. In this environment, Amb. Chinoy's views foregrounds foreign/defence policy concerns, for the Centre. The Left-liberal intellectual position in its 21st century avatar, denuded and delusional through its faux-idealism, is largely a fig-leaf, used by politicians in India as a technique-in-perpetuity to misdirect from grimy political corruption. The rich vs poor debate, abadi-haq etc serve as useful deflections, the art of raising the consciousness of the "poor", not for social-mobility, but to harvest their votes - without having to deliver any significant impact on infrastructure, means of livelihood, basic shelter, health and sanitation. Unless, you consider the rabbit-out-of-the-hat money-printing economics as a reasonable solution - (my post on dimsums and all that!) https://lnkd.in/g2n669rx The reduction of the electoral debate to ideological cliches like "autocracy" "fascism" and "backsliding of democracy", interpreted for convenience, and the sudden coordinated attempt in the international media to paint a narrative that delegitimizes, conflicts with the more confident reality on the ground - and is evasive on real issues that matter to people. [1:12:18] onwards has some interesting views on asymmetrical threats from non-state / quasi-state actors and new identity groupings whose interests are vested in a transnational alliance - often contrasting with national positions - insidious and sometimes useful, depending on how it plays out. With social media and connectivity, we now have a "level playing field" for free speech. The consequence - the equivocation and support for all kinds of kooky theories from amorphous entities whose primary allegiance and interests are hard to fathom. The other consequence of this "transnational appeal" - Actors and even institutions have begun treating the socially-constructed truths of their "ideological" positions as transcending the state, and in effect, dampening and sometimes aggressively negating the need for negotiation, within the societies of their existence.

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India's green ambition and those bearing the cost of it Rich in critical minerals such as nickel and chromium used in electric vehicles, land in Kundo in North Gujarat was auctioned earlier this year for exploration by private mining companies. Not only were the tribal residents not consulted before the auctions—in contravention of the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996—their pending land-rights claims under the Scheduled Tribes And Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act or FRA, 2006 over the mining site are also being ignored. This auction for exploration of critical minerals, essential for clean-energy solutions, highlights the increasing clash between India’s green ambitions and those who bear the cost of this transition. A ground report by my colleague Sukriti Vats for Article 14. https://lnkd.in/gY3_AD-R

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