Hopeful that India will be able to meet demand for lithium internally in three to four years: Union Minister of Coal & Mines, Mr. G. Kishan Reddy

India aims to become self-sufficient in critical minerals like lithium within the next three to four years, Union Minister of Coal & Mines, Mr. G. Kishan Reddy, stated during the 175th-anniversary celebrations of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Kolkata. The National Critical Mineral Mission has been launched to boost domestic mining of essential minerals, including lithium, which is crucial for mobile phone batteries and solar panels. The government has approved Rs. 32,000 crore (US$ 3.67 billion) for this mission, with GSI playing a key role in mineral exploration. He highlighted that India aims to lead global mineral exploration by 2047, aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat. 

GSI is collaborating with Argentina on five lithium blocks in Latin America to strengthen lithium exploration. Since its inception in 1851, GSI has evolved beyond mineral exploration, playing a critical role in dam construction, tunnelling, heritage preservation, and disaster preparedness. The increased focus on domestic mineral production is expected to reduce import dependency, support renewable energy initiatives, and strengthen India's resource security in the coming years. 

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