India’s Energy Future Hinges on Critical Minerals Strategy: Altmin CEO Anjani Sri Mourya Sunkavalli Unveils Unified Supply Chain Vision

Hyderabad, July 24: In a compelling conversation with Srinivas G. Roopi, Editor of Digital India Times, Anjani Sri Mourya Sunkavalli, Founder and CEO of Altmin, lays bare the strategic urgency behind India’s critical minerals policy. As a deep-tech entrepreneur building India’s battery materials ecosystem, Sunkavalli calls for a unified, long-term supply chain strategy to ensure the nation’s energy independence. Drawing lessons from past missteps in the solar sector, he warns against repeating history in critical technologies like rare earth magnets and battery storage. His views underscore the need for expert-led policymaking, localization mandates, and bold institutional reforms to secure India’s position in the global energy transition.

Why do you describe this moment as “critical” for India in the global energy race?
Because what we’re witnessing isn’t just a technological or trade challenge — it’s a matter of strategic autonomy. As clean energy technologies evolve rapidly, the countries that dominate the critical mineral supply chains will hold disproportionate power. India must choose: lead or depend. If we don’t act now, we risk long-term vulnerabilities in sectors vital to our economy and security.

India has launched multiple green economy initiatives. Are you saying these efforts aren’t working?
The vision is clear and commendable – ministries like New and Renewable Energy, Mines, and Heavy Industries are all on board. But our execution is fragmented. We have multiple missions, but no unified strategy. That fragmentation isn’t just bureaucratic – it could become existential for our industrial future.

Can you give an example of how this fragmentation has hurt India in the past?
Absolutely. Look at the solar industry. Three decades ago, we had the technology for MG silicon, polysilicon, and ingots. But we prioritized short-term profits and set up assembly units dependent on imports. Today, despite our ambition, we remain wholly reliant on global solar supply chains. We’re at risk of repeating this mistake with rare earth magnets, crucial for EVs, wind turbines, and defence. We still lack intermediate manufacturing infrastructure for these materials.

What is the broader message you’re trying to convey?
Supply chain sovereignty is national security. In sectors like EVs and energy storage, we’re allowing short-term commercial decisions to override long-term national interests. That’s a dangerous path. Resilient supply chains take decades to build. It’s about vision, grit, and national investment—not quarterly profits.

How do you view current government policymaking in this space?
There’s a growing reliance on external consultants rather than domain experts. The expert-led committees that once guided policy are fading. What we have now is often secondary research influenced by lobbying, not grounded industrial wisdom. We need to reverse that trend and bring strategic expertise back to the center of policymaking.

So what does a better path forward look like?
We need a bold, integrated supply chain framework, and I propose five core pillars:

Minimum Import Price (MIP) – Apply MIP across the critical minerals value chain, to shield domestic producers from dumping and unfair pricing.

Mandatory Localization – Public incentives must be tied to localization targets. No localization, no funds.

Financial Discipline – Banks and financial institutions should reward firms with strong localization metrics and penalize those that don’t comply.

Unified Institutional Oversight – The National Critical Minerals Mission must be the coordinating body for all efforts across ministries.

Procurement Policy Reform – Awarding contracts based solely on lowest bids results in domination by Chinese-origin materials. It’s not a market win—it’s a strategic surrender.

That’s a strong call for restructuring. What’s your guiding principle for such reform?
A philosophy I call: “Unified approach, segmented incentives; unified monitoring, segmented funding.” We need one national vision with decentralized but coordinated execution.

What’s your final message to policymakers and stakeholders?
India cannot afford to be a nation of siloed missions and ministries. We need to rally around a unified industrial vision. This isn’t just about securing lithium or rare earths – it’s about reimagining India’s industrial future. My suggestions come not as criticism, but as contributions from an entrepreneur deeply committed to building India’s battery materials ecosystem. I’m ready to collaborate with government bodies, think tanks, and peers – because this is about more than policy. It’s about energy independence, economic resilience, and national sovereignty.