India is actively engaging with African and Latin American countries to secure critical mineral blocks essential for clean energy technologies, such as electric vehicles and wind turbines. Veena Kumari Dermal, joint secretary of the Ministry of Mines, announced on Tuesday that India is pursuing government-to-government agreements to obtain these resources.
Critical minerals like lithium are crucial components in rapidly growing clean energy technologies, including wind turbines, electricity networks, and electric vehicles. With the global shift towards clean energy, the demand for these minerals is increasing rapidly. Dermal highlighted ongoing discussions with resource-rich countries in Africa and Latin America to secure these minerals on a priority basis.
At the domestic level, India has successfully auctioned its first lithium block in Chhattisgarh. The joint secretary expressed hopes that the Chhattisgarh government will expedite exploration and production. Maiki South Mining Pvt Ltd recently acquired this lithium block, marking a significant step in India’s domestic mineral exploration efforts.
Despite successes, the government canceled the auction of 14 critical mineral blocks in the second round due to a lack of interest. In June, 21 blocks were offered in the fourth round, receiving 56 physical and 56 online bids for 18 of the 20 blocks. However, 13 blocks were canceled due to a lukewarm response, with seven re-notified for the third round of auctions.
Source: Zee Business