India joins the global lithium value chain after a lithium reserve was discovered in the igneous rocks found in Karnataka’s Mandya. According to reports released by Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), an arm of the Department of Atomic Energy, about 1200 tonnes of the mineral is said to be present in the said reserve.
Lithium is a vital resource that is necessary for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs), laptops and mobile phones. It is also used in medicine to treat schizophrenic disorders and other psychiatric disabilities.
Despite the fact that this is a relatively small reserve, it marks a significant milestone in the country’s need for domestically mining the silver-white metal by way of hard-rock extraction of the ore. There are also attempts going on to explore the potential of extracting lithium from the brine pools of Rajasthan and Gujarat and the mica belts of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
It is to be noted that all of India’s Lithium requirements are currently met through imports. The country recently joined hands with an Argentinian firm to jointly prospect lithium in the South American nation which has 17 million tonnes of lithium metal reserves. The agreement was signed by India through a newly instituted state-owned company, Khanij Bidesh India Limited.