July 22 – The global push toward clean energy and digitalisation has made critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, rare earths, graphite, and vanadium essential to 21st-century economies. These minerals power modern technologies—from electric vehicles and semiconductors to solar panels and defence systems—yet their supply chains remain fragile and geopolitically exposed, posing serious risks that India cannot afford to ignore.Amid this challenge lies a transformative opportunity: India’s Northeast.Once viewed as a remote and underdeveloped periphery, the region—comprising Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim—has seen a strategic shift in recent years. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office, the Northeast has emerged as a priority on India’s political, economic, and strategic agenda.Massive infrastructure investments are reshaping the landscape, connecting the region to the rest of the country and unlocking its vast untapped potential—including critical mineral resources that could play a central role in India’s clean energy ambitions.