India Hops Onto Global Race for Critical Minerals

On 27 February 2025, Indian Ministry of Mines Secretary Kantha Rao announced that India aims to secure access to #CriticalMinerals to support its economic development. The announcement follows India’s decision to reduce its dependence on imports of such materials from rival China.

For starters, India is looking at three countries Zambia, DR Congo and Australia. These countries are well-known for their wealth in mineral resources. Zambia and DR Congo have the famous #Copperbelt, while Australia is a mining treasure trove.

Recently, the Zambian government has agreed to allocate 9,000 square kilometers to India for exploration of #copper and #cobalt. At the same time, India is exploring opportunities in DR Congo and Tanzania. In Australia, several Indian firms are already operating in the mining sector, notably Coal India, NMDC and ONGC Videsh.

Domestically, India has uncovered significant reserves of #lithium in the Jammu and Kashmir state and intends to put the resource to good use soon. The reserves of lithium is estimated at 6 million tonnes.

In July 2023, India listed 30 minerals as critical, with most of them being crucial for the #EnergyTransiton. In January 2025, as part of the National Budget and in support of #ViksitBharat, the Government of India earmarked INR 163 billion (USD 1.88 billion) for the development of the #CriticalMinerals ecosystem.