Authors : Dr. Jyoti Murmu

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 5 - May

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/3vr4ctb4

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4nj49pdc

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26May1401

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Strategic minerals represent key elements of the global economy, forming the backbone of high-tech industries and crucial processes within energy generation and transition. Due to the growing demand for key international capabilities and technologies, the Central Asian region has declared the search and exploitation of strategic minerals as national priorities. Several countries such as the United States, Japan, and the European Union have classified minerals and metals as critical to national security or strategic goals. For the purpose of this research, strategic minerals are categorized into five groups depending on their increased technical and market interest due to their current or future strategic importance: Energy Minerals, Non-Fuel Metabolic Minerals, Geomaterials for Infrastructure Development, Industrial-Enabled Critical Materials, and Circular Economy & Environmental Protection Materials. Strategic minerals relevant to Central Asia include the energy minerals, such as uranium and thermal coal; non-fuel metabolic minerals, such as iron, copper, zinc, lead, and a lack of lithium; geomaterials for infrastructural development, such as gypsum and construction stone ; industrial-enabled critical materials, such as tungsten, antimony, bismuth, rare earth elements, and cadmium; circular-economy materials, such as waste gypsum and waste paper. This paper will analyze the preliminary identification of strategic minerals, related Demand-Drivers, substitution Options and their Global Benchmark to compare with Central Asian record. Demand-Drivers reflect the primary sectors and industries driving the mineral demand while substitution Options reflect the issues, concerns or alternatives for the specific materials availability to rethink the exploration and extraction of these minerals in post pandemic in Central Asia.

Keywords : Minerals, Geopolitics, Central Asia, Supply Chain, Regional Powers.

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