India is in discussions with several countries, including Australia, the United States, Bolivia, Britain, Japan, and South Korea, seeking technical partnerships to bolster its nascent lithium mining and electric vehicle (EV) industries, and avoid relying on China for lithium processing.
According to four sources familiar with the matter, India’s Ministry of Mines began these discussions last year, aiming to acquire the necessary technology and expertise to process lithium domestically. The Indian government and some private companies have also sought help from Russia’s TENEX, part of state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom, which has offered lithium processing technology and the possibility of collaboration with Indian firms.
India, the world’s third-largest carbon emitter and oil importer, is looking to develop a domestic lithium mining industry that could provide the chemical feedstocks for batteries, supporting its growing EV sector and helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and oil dependence.
“India needs technology to process lithium and we are looking to collaborate with other countries which have some experience,” said a senior government official. “We are aiming to be self-reliant and one of the ways is through partnerships.”
The discussions come as India is in the process of auctioning its first mining rights to lithium blocks, which were discovered last year in the Jammu and Kashmir region and the states of Chhattisgarh. Companies including Ola Electric, Shree Cement, Coal India, Vedanta, and Jindal Power are among the bidders for these critical minerals blocks.
Some of the companies that have bid for the lithium mining rights have sought technical assistance from foreign firms to set up refining plants. For example, Shree Cement is in talks with an Australian company to seek help for a lithium refinery that would cost between $600 million and $700 million.
India’s efforts to build partnerships for lithium processing technology illustrate its desire to develop a self-reliant lithium industry and reduce its dependence on China, which currently dominates the global lithium supply chain.