New Delhi, June 22 -- Globally, critical mineral development is marked by long gestation cycles, taking 15-25 years from discovery to production, given the inherently uncertain nature of exploration and hurdles at multiple stages of mine development. Australia's Olympic Dam project took 13 years and Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi took 20 years.

Even in the US, the Thacker Pass lithium project was delayed by about a decade as it faced environmental litigation. These delays reflect universal geological, regulatory, social and financial constraints.

Also Read: Cold War II alert: Rare earths could tilt the global balance of power

India's critical mineral strategy faces added hurdles from legacy inefficiencies, under-resourced exploration and fragme...