'Gold To Gas, India Must Unlock Its Underground Wealth': Mining Tycoon Anil Agarwal

Vedanta Chairman and Founder Anil Agarwal, speaking at the NDTV World Summit 2025 held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, emphasised India's indispensable role in shaping the global economy.

He remarked that nations have advanced by tapping into their natural resources, despite long being discouraged from doing so, leading to import dependency.

With the world now focused on critical metals, oil, and gas, Agarwal highlighted the urgency of unlocking India’s underground wealth. He noted that Vedanta is already fulfilling nearly half of the country’s silver demand and stressed that opening up access to natural resources could significantly boost domestic capabilities.

“Our business lies beneath the ground,” he said, underlining the strategic importance of critical minerals in India’s growth story.

He further highlighted, India's growing global significance, stating, "Today, nothing can happen without India's presence." He also highlighted the importance of self-sufficiency, particularly in natural resources, saying, "The only way to move forward is to produce your own gas, copper, silver - anything you talk about is 'below the ground'."

During the interaction Agarwal also said that the world's best reserve, that is gold, is in India. Not just gold but the best reserve of diamond is also in India.

He also spoke about India's rich natural resources, and stressed again that, "The only way to move forward is to produce your own."

Agarwal further added that, people from outside want to come and set up in India but they are unsure about the process or hurdles that they may face, but still everybody is interested in India. "This is the sign that the day these companies make way to India, stability will follow because these people are looking for young population and cheaper labour. India is the only country where people work for 12 months."