The Union Government said that the GSI has found 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lithium is one of the key components in EV batteries.”Geological Survey of India for the first time established Lithium inferred resources (G3) of 5.9 million tonnes in the Salal-Haimana area of the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Ministry of Mines said on Thursday.
Also, 51 mineral blocks including Lithium and Gold were handed over to respective state governments. “Out of these 51 mineral blocks, 5 blocks pertain to gold and other blocks pertain to commodities like potash, molybdenum, base metals etc. spread across 11 states of Jammu and Kashmir (UT), Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana,” the ministry added.
The blocks were prepared based on the work carried out by GSI from field seasons 2018-19 to till date. Apart from these, 17 reports of Coal and Lignite with a total resource of 7897 million tonnes were also handed over to the Ministry of Coal.
“The proposed Annual Programme for the ensuing Field Season 2023-24 was presented and discussed during the meeting. During the ensuing year 2023-24, GSI is taking up 966 programmes comprising 318 mineral exploration projects including 12 marine mineral investigation projects,” the ministry further said.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) was first established in 1851 to find coal deposits for the Railways. Over the years, GSI has grown into a repository of geo-science information required in various fields in the country and attained the status of a geo-scientific organisation of international repute.
Following the updates, industry experts have shared their views:
Akshay Kashyap, MD, Greenfuel Energy Solutions
“Lithium reserves discovered by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most crucial metals that is currently used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. India currently imports around 70 percent of its lithium requirement from countries like China and Hong Kong. By exploiting the potential of the lithium reserves in J&K, India could reduce its dependence on foreign countries making us truly ‘Atmanirbhar’, while also creating jobs, generating revenue, and furthering its renewable energy ambitions. India’s plan to increase EV penetration by 30% by 2030 relies heavily on lithium.”
Varun Goenka, CEO & Co-Founder, Chargeup
“This is the first time that such a large deposit of lithium has been found in the country. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has carried out the exploration and has confirmed the presence of these reserves. This is a major boost for the Indian EV industry, as it is heavily dependent on imported cells from China and Taiwan. With this new development, battery costs are expected to come down significantly, as we will now be able to source cells from within the country. This will also help reduce our dependence on China, which is a major concern for many in the current political climate. This will have a huge impact on the cost of batteries and make EVs more affordable for consumers.”
Pankaj Sharma, Co-Founder & Director, Log9 Materials
“The unavailability of Lithium has been one of the reasons why India has been dependent on other countries for Li-Ion batteries and other EV components. Lithium being one of the core elements of the Li-Ion batteries and taking into consideration the financial impact of sourcing Lithium, the recent discovery of Lithium reserves in J&K does come in as a new lease of life as it further enables India’s ambition to become self-sufficient in its energy storage needs.
At a time when the government has been catalysing initiatives toward EV battery manufacturing and green mobility to reach its ambitious net-zero goal by 2070, the report from the Geological Survey of India about the discovery brings hope for localized production of Li-ion cells and batteries, which will also go a long way in reducing our trade deficits with the neighbouring country.”
Siddharth Kabra, Co-Founder & CEO, Volt Up
“It is heartening to know about the discovery of lithium in J&K. In the years to come, it will have a positive impact on India’s ev industry. While the cost of battery is around 45-50% in an ev, today’s discovery will lead to cheaper Lithium -ion batteries and more importantly dependence on other countries for lithium.”
With inputs from ANI
