India’s untapped lithium reserve

Binita Das

(bini06das@gmail.com)

Recently, on 9th February, India found a treasure of lithium in the mountainous Salal-Haimana area of the Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir. The Ministry of Mines, India announced that the Geopolitical Survey of India (GST) found 5.9 million tonnes of untapped lithium reserve which is estimated to cost worth around 34 Trillion Rupees. The lithium resource was found among other mineral blocks. A total of 51 mineral blocks have been found including lithium and gold, which were handed over to respective state governments. As the whole world is approaching to convert the current energy resource to energy source, this discovery of lithium has given hope to achieve the green energy revolution. This discovery can be a game changer for India just like Saudi Arabia, when they found oil reserve.

In 1938, Saudi Arabia found oil reserves in Dammam, and it was a game changer for them. They became powerful, economically rich and influential. Just like that, this lithium reserve can be a game changer for India too, and India can become the next Saudi Arabia.

Just as everything in this world has its positive and negative sides, it has some positive and negative sides too. Two of the positive sides we already discussed are that it can be a game changer for India, and that it will boost the green energy revolution. Other positive sides are - this will make India diplomatically powerful, economically rich, one of the biggest exporter of lithium, one of the biggest producer of lithium based batteries and products etc. On the other hand, there are some challenges to it, since the region where it is found has some political conflict. India must address and resolve all the conflicts before they proceed. Extracting lithium and making it useful is a long process, and India has no experience in it. So India may face various challenges related to it. Due to shortage of skilled human resource, no machinery development can be a beneficial for India. The challenges consist of insufficient raw material, undependable networks etc. It may also come with social and environmental risks.

There are a few factors for which lithium mining releases substantial air pollution. It also contaminates all kinds of water bodies. There is another problem that India can face is terrorism, since the region where lithium is found is a politically conflicted area. And there are past instances of some terrorist attacks and activities. It may cause some serious problems.

Since the news has been announced, there is a question in people’s mind- how this lithium mining will start. As soon as India announced its discovery, America sent their envoy, Geoffrey R. Pyatt, to India so that America and India can share the profit by doing it together. So, it is clear that on the global level all the eyes are on India.

India imports its lithium based products from other countries. The chief sources of India’s import are China and Hong Kong. India imports 72-73% of the lithium- iron products from China. On the other hand, India imports 23-48% and 37.32% of them from Hong Kong. So, India’s discovery of lithium reserve will, no doubt, boost India economically.