International Conference on Critical Metals Highlights Need for Collaboration in Sustainable Supply Chains

Jamshedpur: International collaboration today is not a choice but a necessity to address strategic needs and, with trust and transparency, lead to mutual development. Partners should diversify to achieve sustainable supply chains.

This was stated by Lekhan Thakkar, the joint secretary with the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Union Govt.Addressing the ‘International conference on critical metals’, Thakkar said, “Critical metals influence the economic and industrial development of the nation and thereby, geo-politics of a region.”Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) CMD Kancham Anand Rao said, “UCIL is ready to partner, especially in the fields of extraction of critical minerals.”CSIR-NML director Sandip Ghosh Chowdhury stressed the need for technological sovereignty in critical minerals towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat in all sectors, including electronics, defence, and aerospace.Talking about the research on critical minerals, Sarma V Pisupati, director, C2M, Penn State University, USA, underlined the current need to be creative, collaborative, and have the conviction to excel in the field of critical minerals and bring innovative indigenous technologies to the market.With over 350 participants, the meet will have global experts engage in discussions on critical minerals and deliberate on technical, policy, and supply chain issues in the field, said Sanjay Kumar, chairman, organising committee.