In a bid to accelerate the domestic production of rare earth and critical minerals, the Centre has approved the rationalization of royalty rates for graphite, caesium, rubidium, and zirconium—minerals that are essential for high-tech industries and green energy technologies.
Graphite, caesium, rubidium, and zirconium are vital for advanced technological applications and the ongoing global energy transition. Notably, graphite and zirconium are among the 24 critical and strategic minerals listed in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).
According to the decision, the royalty rate for caesium—used mainly in high-tech electronic sectors, particularly in atomic clocks, GPS systems, high-precision instruments, and medical equipment including cancer therapy devices—has been fixed at two per cent of the average sale price of caesium metal, chargeable on the caesium metal contained in the ore produced.
