BRICS 2026: India’s Scrap Industry Is Entering the Critical Minerals Race

Just days ago, leaders from the BRICS nations met in New Delhi for their 18th annual summit. They discussed global economics, security, and technology. But hidden within their final declaration was a message that will reshape a surprising industry in India and has implications for every one of us.

The message? The global race is on for "critical minerals," and India’s massive, unorganised scrap industry is about to become a key player.

What Are Critical Minerals, and Why Do They Matter?

Think about the technology that defines modern life. Your smartphone, the laptop you work on, the electric vehicles you see on the road, and the solar panels powering our future—they all depend on a special group of materials. These are critical minerals: lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, and more.

They are the secret ingredients of the 21st-century economy.

The problem is, the global supply of these minerals is controlled by just a few countries. At the BRICS summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned that these supply chains could be "weaponised," threatening our economic growth and security.

If India is to become a true manufacturing power in electronics, defence, and green energy, it cannot be dependent on others for these essential materials. We need our own secure supply. The question is, where do we find it? The answer is not just in mines deep underground. It’s in our homes, offices, and factories.

India's Secret Treasure: The Urban Mine

India is sitting on a goldmine. Not a literal one, but an "urban mine"—a vast reserve of valuable materials already present in the millions of products we use every day.

Consider the materials locked inside:

• Discarded mobile phones and laptops (containing gold, silver, copper)
• Old electric vehicle batteries (lithium, cobalt, nickel)
• Used solar panels
• Miles of copper cables in old telecom and electrical wiring