Ratul Puri: Why critical mineral exploration matters for India’s clean-energy ambitions

India’s energy transition is often discussed in terms of renewable power capacity, electric vehicles, battery storage and green hydrogen. But behind these technologies lies another strategic requirement that is becoming increasingly important: access to the raw materials needed to build them. As global competition for these resources intensifies, developing domestic mineral capabilities is emerging as an important part of India’s long-term economic and energy strategy.

The Padhar Platinum Group Elements (PGE) block in Madhya Pradesh, for which a group company of Hindustan Power was awarded a Letter of Intent, assumes significance in this broader context. Spread across around 200 square kilometres, the block is prospective for platinum group elements and also contains zinc deposits.

The relevance of the project goes beyond the resources being explored. Platinum group elements have applications across several technologies supporting the global energy transition, including hydrogen production, fuel cells and catalytic systems. Zinc, meanwhile, has extensive industrial uses, including infrastructure, energy systems and battery technologies.

For India, developing a stronger domestic resource base can help reduce exposure to international supply disruptions. The country continues to rely on imports for several important minerals, while production of some resources remains concentrated in a limited number of countries. Geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions or disruptions in global logistics can therefore have consequences for industries that India is seeking to scale rapidly.

Ratul Puri, Chairman, Hindustan Power, said, “Securing this critical mineral block is an important step in strengthening India’s resource resilience. Platinum group elements are key to next-generation technologies that will shape the future of energy, mobility and advanced manufacturing, including production of clean hydrogen, fuel cells, electronic and catalytic systems.”

The relevance of these minerals is likely to grow as India expands sectors such as green hydrogen, renewable power, energy storage and electric mobility. These industries are not only transforming the way energy is produced and consumed but are also creating new demand for a range of metals and minerals. Building access to these resources, therefore, is becoming an important part of supporting the country’s broader industrial and energy ambitions.

“With this exploration, we aim to build a reliable domestic resource base for critical minerals, while taking a disciplined and responsible approach. This will support India’s broader priorities of supply chain security and energy leadership.” Puri said.

The significance of Padhar also reflects a wider change in the global industrial landscape. As the clean-energy transition gathers pace, securing the raw materials needed for clean-energy equipment, mobility solutions and advanced technologies is becoming an important priority for economies around the world. Access to these resources is consequently emerging as an important element of industrial competitiveness.

“For Hindustan Power, this exploration reflects the natural evolution of the company as we expand beyond our established strengths in energy into areas that will define the future industrial landscape,” Puri said.

As the global shift towards cleaner energy gathers pace, access to the minerals needed for new technologies is becoming increasingly tied to industrial competitiveness. For India, expanding geological exploration and developing a deeper understanding of its domestic resource base will be important as the country builds out renewable energy, green hydrogen, electric mobility and advanced manufacturing.

About Ratul Puri

Ratul Puri is the Chairman of Hindustan Power, an integrated power generation company with a strong presence in renewable and transitional energy generation. Over the years, Ratul Puri has been involved in the development of large-scale energy infrastructure projects that support India’s growing power requirements and its transition toward cleaner energy sources.

For more information visit:

https://ratulpuri.in/