New Delhi is buzzing with big plans! India wants to build a great team of 5.7 million skilled workers in the mining sector by 2030. Why? Because the country is sharpening its focus on mining critical minerals needed for clean energy. The goal is clear: self-reliance and less import dependence, especially from China. To make this happen, the mines ministry and the Skill Council for Mining Sector (SCMS), which works under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, have teamed up. They formed a project steering committee to start a skills gap study for 2025-30. This study will cover different mining jobs tied to the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM). A senior government official told ET, "The report will come up with a detailed action plan for the sector on ways to impart skills training to millions of workers to cater to the increasing demand from the sector in the near future under the Mission." Simply put, they plan to train many workers to meet growing mining needs. The dream is big! India wants to more than double the mining sector's share in its GDP to 5% by 2030, up from just 2.2% now. How? By rolling out many initiatives under the NCMM that boost India's ability to mine critical minerals. This will help India rely less on imports. Pankaj Satija, chairman of SCMS, shared the excitement, saying, "Work has started on creating a future-ready workforce in the mining sector for 2025-35, and we hope to submit the recommendations by March 2026 which will serve as a guide for government and industry to create requisite workforce." So, watch out! India is digging deep to power its clean energy dreams and protect its energy future with a skilled army of mining experts.