India signs Rs 200 crore lithium exploration, mining deal with Argentina

Khanij Bidesh India Ltd, a joint venture of state-owned miners, has signed a Rs 200 crore deal with the Argentinian government-run Catamarca Minera Y EnergÃtica Sociedad Del Estado for exploring and exploiting five lithium blocks in the South American country’s Catamarca province, Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi announced in a post on X.

“The project will help India strengthen lithium supplies, while developing lithium mining and downstream sectors of both the countries,” Joshi said on Monday.

Lithium, a rare mineral found in hard rocks and dissolved in saline groundwater, is an essential component in rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles and electronic gadgets like smartphones, and laptops.