| Abstract Submission No. | ABS-2.1-0011 |
| Title of Abstract | Critical Mineral Potentiality Along Beach Placers in India: An Overview |
| Authors | Prof A. Yugandhar Rao*, Dr.T. Karuna Karudu |
| Organisation | Department of Geology, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam |
| Address | Departtment of Geology. Andhra University Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India Pincode: 530003 E-mail: ayrao_amd@yahoo.co.in |
| Country | India |
| Presentation | Oral |
| Abstract | A sustainable blue economy provide benefits for the current and future generations; protects, restore and maintains diverse productive and resilient ecosystem. This is based on clean technologies, renewable energy and circular economy. Among the ocean resources, mineral resources are one among them and very vital for country economy. Among the minerals, critical minerals have a global demand due to their key components in critical and strategic applications and also plays a key role for country economy and security. Critical minerals are the foundation of contemporary industrial economies, enabling technological advancements and boosting economies. They are defined as a set of naturally occurring elements that have diverse irreplaceable industrial applications but confront supply-related vulnerabilities either in the form of their limited geographic occurrences or sourcing challenges. As far as India is concerned, Government of India in June, 2025 has notified a list of twenty-four (24) critical minerals. India, with a coastline of nearly more than 11,000 km and 2.30 million.sq.km of EEZ is endowed with selected critical mineral resources in the form of placers like titanium minerals (ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene), zirconium minerals (zircon) and REE mineral (monazite). Nearly 12% of the critical minerals listed are confined to beach placers. The Indian States holding this kind of minerals are Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu along East coast whereas Kerala and Maharashtra on the west coast. Among the onshore resources, nearly 1/3rd of the resources are confined to State of Andhra Pradesh. The controlling factors for the concentration of these minerals are favourable provenance, climate (tropical to sub-topical), pronounced draining patterns followed by coastal process like wave, wind and seal level changes. In this paper; the author discusses about the present resources and Production to Reserve Ratio (PRR) of these minerals with reference to Global status. |
| Keywords | Blue economy, Critical minerals, Beach placer deposits, sea level changes, overview |