Lithium reserves traced in India’s Rajasthan, raising hopes of reduced dependence on China

According to a report by news agency IANS on May 7, lithium reserves have been discovered in Rajasthan, India, which is expected to reduce India’s reliance on China. The report stated that officials from the Rajasthan government confirmed the discovery of lithium reserves in Degana, Nagaur, which are believed to have a higher capacity than those found in Jammu and Kashmir recently. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) and mining officials have claimed that the reserves in Rajasthan are so significant that 80% of India’s total demand for lithium can be met from this source.

The GSI survey team went to Degana at the instruction of the Central Government to investigate high-grade tungsten minerals. They discovered tungsten deposits and also found lithium reserves in the same Renvat hill of Degana and its surrounding area from where tungsten mineral was once supplied to the country. It is said that lithium deposits may also exist in other places in Rajasthan such as Barmer and Jaisalmer. The survey team is now working to explore the potential of these areas.

Lithium is a non-ferrous metal that is primarily used in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras, and electric vehicles (EVs). Currently, India relies heavily on foreign lithium supplies, which are expensive. Bolivia has the world’s largest lithium reserves, with 21 million tonnes, and there are also substantial reserves in Argentina, Chile, and the United States. However, China, with its 5.1 million tonnes of lithium reserves, has a monopoly in the international market.

India has to import 53.76% of its total lithium imports from China, and in 2020-21 alone, India imported lithium worth more than Rs 6,000 crore, of which lithium worth more than Rs 3,500 crore was purchased from China.

Discovering lithium reserves in Rajasthan is a significant development for India as it can help to reduce its dependence on expensive foreign lithium supplies, especially from China, which has had a monopoly in the international market. This discovery may also provide a boost to India’s domestic lithium-ion battery production and the country’s transition towards electric mobility.