📌At a Glance:RITES Limited and Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) just shook hands (and probably helmets) over a major deal to create India’s firstdesi critical mineral supply chain. With Hon’ble Minister GK Reddy watching like a proud school principal, the two PSUs will now explore, extract, refine, and move minerals that are the backbone of EVs, solar panels, and national security.
🧠What’s the Deal?
RITES Ltd (India’s go-to rail & infrastructure consultant) has partnered withHindustan Copper Limited, the country’s only integrated copper producer, to:
- đźšś Explore and minecritical minerals(not just copper anymore!)
- 🏗️ Developmining infrastructure
- 🧾 Participate inmineral block auctions
- đźš„ Buildtransport and multimodal logisticsfor mineral movement
🔋 In short: They want to become theLogistics + Mines Mafia— but the good kind, powered by MoUs and public sector discipline.
🤝 Who Signed What, Where?
| 👨‍💼 Signatories | ✍️ Designation |
|---|---|
| Rahul Mithal | CMD, RITES Ltd. |
| Sanjiv Kumar Singh | CMD, Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) |
| Special Guest Appearance | Hon. Minister of Mines, GK Reddy |
📍Location:New Delhi📆Date:June 6, 2025📜
Occasion:Strategic handshake with a press release attached
💎 What Are “Critical” Minerals?
Critical minerals are not just minerals with anxiety issues. They arerare, essential, and mostly imported. Think:
- Lithium– used in EV batteries
- Cobalt– also batteries
- Nickel– guess what, batteries again
- Rare Earths– magnets, missiles, and everything China won’t share
India currentlyimports 80-90%of these. This MoU says:Let’s go find our own stash.
🏗️ What Will RITES Do?
RITES isn’t just about trains and tracks anymore. Their role in the partnership:
- Project planning for mining sites
- Transport infrastructure (roads, rails, multimodal hubs)
- Rolling stock solutions for mineral haulage
- Consultancy from exploration to logistics
🛠️Translation:They’ll help build the entiremineral-to-market highway, making HCL’s ores moreUber Eats, less bullock cart.
🧪 What Will HCL Bring to the Table?
HCL
