The Indian government announced on Thursday, Feb. 10 that 5.9 million tons of lithium, a crucial mineral for the manufacturing of electric vehicles and solar panels, had been discovered in the provinces of Jammu and kashmir .
Deposit of 1600 tons discovered in Karnataka two years ago
It was the first major discovery of lithium in India, with the only other reserves being a small deposit of 1600 tons discovered in Karnataka two years ago. Up to this point, the country had depended on Australia, Chile, and Argentina for any imports of lithium needed for its manufacturing sector.
US Secretary of Commerce announced plans for a strategic partnership
Mines secretary Vivek Bharadwaj told reporters that the lithium deposit will help India become “aatmanirbhar,” a slogan often promoted by prime minister Narendra Modi that means self-reliant. And the discovery is certainly a critical milestone in India’s quest to become a global manufacturing leader, coming just days after the US Secretary of Commerce announced plans for a strategic partnership between the two countries to boost competition against China.
fifth-largest lithium reserves in the world
To put the size of the deposit in perspective, the lithium from this discovery alone means India now has the fifth-largest lithium reserves in the world, just ahead of the United States. However, refining lithium ore into a mineral that can be used to make batteries is a complex process, meaning India will have to rely on imports for at least a few more years.
Read|How lithium deposits found in J&K could help bring down cost of electric vehicles in India
world’s lithium reserves are found in the wide expanse of salt flats in Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina
The vast majority of the world’s lithium reserves are found in the wide expanse of salt flats in Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Bolivia has by far the world’s largest lithium reserves, but most of it remains in the ground as the country does not have the developed infrastructure to excavate it. Due to this, Bolivia does not rank anywhere near the top in actual lithium production.
To read and know more news, now you can also follow us on social media – To follow on Twitter, type – @khas_khabar and to read news #khas_khabar live follow on Facebook. You can follow us on our page@socialkhabarlive.