Keshav Chandra on Monday assumed charge as the Mines Secretary, the mines ministry said.
Chandra, a 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the AGMUT cadre, succeeds Piyush Goyal, who has been appointed as the Secretary General of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Before taking charge as mines secretary, Chandra served as chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council.
Soon after assuming charge, Chandra chaired a meeting with senior officials and reviewed key initiatives of the mines ministry.
The secretary emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts and effective implementation of the ministry’s key initiatives to strengthen India’s mineral sector.
The ministry is treating critical minerals as a strategic sector as it seeks to secure minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, titanium and rare earths that are essential for electric vehicles, renewables, electronics, defence and other high-tech industries.
India depends heavily on imports for many of these inputs, and that leaves industry exposed to supply disruptions, price volatility and geopolitical risk.
Domestic exploration is meant to identify more reserves, while auctions and exploration licences are designed to bring in participation from private companies and deepen the pipeline of mineral assets.
