Lithium Reserves Found In Jammu And Kashmir To Be Auctioned By December: Mines Secretary

NEW DELHI: India will start auction of lithium reserves found in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi by December, said Secretary of Ministry of Mines Vivek Bharadwaj.

While speaking at an industry event on Tuesday (May 2), the secretary informed the ministry has written for the transaction advisor for the lithium auction to the Jammu and Kashmir administration.

Vivek Bharadwaj said that the consultation process with stakeholders on the amendment of the offshore Mining Act has been completed. He hoped to bring it in the parliament for discussion soon.

The Ministry of Mines Secretary further said, "We have been lucky to discover 5.9 million tonnes of Lithium. We were actually looking for limestones that are available in Jammu and Kashmir. We found limestone, bauxite, and lithium together. There has been renewed interest in exploration in these minerals.”

In February this year, the Union Government said that lithium reserves of 5.9 million tonnes had been found for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir.

A non-ferrous metal, Lithium is one of the key components in EV batteries, among other industries like cellphone batteries.

The Ministry of Mines had earlier said that the Geological Survey of India (GSI), an attached office of the Ministry of Mines, carried out a G3 stage mineral exploration project during Field Season 2020-21 and 2021-22 in Salal-Haimna areas of Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir, where an estimated inferred resource of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium ore was found. The report has been handed over to the Government of Union Territory of J&K, the ministry added.

More exploration activities in Jammu and Kashmir for identifying lithium resources has been proposed by the Geological Survey of India.

Bharadwaj also said it is time for India to take a decisive step in exploration of rare earth minerals.

Secretary Bharadwaj expressed his enthusiasm for the potential of India’s energy mineral sector while speaking at the launch of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (FICCI) Report on “New Age Energy Minerals.”

In the transition towards a net-zero future, Bharadwaj highlighted the importance of energy minerals and cited the example of Ilmenite, a mineral abundant in India. Although it holds 11% of the world’s deposits, India imports a billion dollars worth of titanium dioxide yearly. This was attributed to technological inefficiencies and litigations.

Bharadwaj emphasised the need to open the sector to private players, encourage domestic exploration, and adopt efficient technologies, to unlock the sector’s potential.

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