New Delhi: India’s mining sector has the potential to create nearly 25 million jobs by 2047, according to a new industry report highlighting the sector’s growing importance in the country’s long-term economic and industrial expansion.
The report stated that rising demand for minerals, rapid infrastructure growth, urbanisation, manufacturing expansion, and the clean energy transition are expected to significantly boost employment opportunities across mining and allied industries over the next two decades.
Experts believe the sector could become a major driver of direct and indirect employment through activities such as mineral exploration, extraction, transportation, processing, equipment manufacturing, logistics, and technology services.
The report also highlighted increasing demand for critical minerals including lithium, copper, cobalt, rare earth elements, and bauxite, which are essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, electronics, and advanced manufacturing.
Industry analysts say government reforms, commercial coal mining, auction-based mineral allocation, and policy support for private investment are helping accelerate growth in the mining sector. Expansion in mineral-rich states is also expected to strengthen local economies and create large-scale employment opportunities in rural and industrial regions.
The study emphasised the need for skilled workforce development, modern mining technology, sustainable extraction practices, and faster regulatory approvals to fully unlock the sector’s employment potential.
Mining companies and industry bodies have also called for greater investment in exploration activities and infrastructure to help India reduce dependence on imported minerals and strengthen long-term resource security.