India is expanding its efforts to secure critical mineral resources through bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with 13 mineral-rich countries across South America, Africa, and Australia. This is part of a broader strategy to ensure resource security, including mineral supplies. Additionally, the Mines Ministry is intensifying cooperation with three Asian countries—South Korea, Japan, and Israel—focusing on geology, exploration, and sharing expertise in processing critical minerals.

Activities have also picked up with the Ministry exploring the possibility of tapping into graphite resources in the neighbourhood, namely Sri Lanka; and coking coal and copper in the Central Asian nation of Mongolia, senior officials aware of the discussions told businessline.

India’s Ministry of Mines is forging ahead with plans to establish international partnerships focused on the transfer of technology and expertise in offshore mineral processing.

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A draft or blueprint of these Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) is currently being finalised thereby setting up the stage for engagement with nations that are pioneers in this field.

Some of the countries India is keen to tap for getting technical know-how include African nations of Namibia (known for deep sea diamond mining) and South Africa; and European nations like, Netherlands, Sweden and France.

“The blueprint of these MoUs – relating to tech and knowledge transfer for off-shore minerals -is being prepared. Once finalised, we will take it up with countries that have made progress in these segments,” the official said.

The search for lithium

Lithium remains the cornerstone of India’s overseas critical minerals quest.

Called white gold, the non-ferrous metal (lithium) along with copper, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements form the key components for a variety of applications and energy storage solutions that range from mobile phones to electric vehicles, solar panels, semiconductors, and wind turbines. They find varied and detailed usage in defence sector too.

The countries with which there are existing MoUs for lithium include Australia, where due diligence activities for blocks are underway.

In South American nations like Argentina, India has already acquired and started non-invasive exploration across five lithium blocks; in Peru – bilateral agreements are being pursued for supply of lithium among other resources like copper; for Chile – which has lithium reserves – there is interest to tap the reserve and also obtaining processing knowhow; with Colombia too, there is an MoU in place.

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For Bolivia – where industrial scale production of lithium is yet to start, India was invited to be a partner in the lithium sector in 2019 (by the Bolivian government). India recently announced the decision to set up an embassy in the South American nation and part of the global Lithium Triangle, indicating a major shift in diplomatic strategy.

A second official said, India is negotiating FTA​s with Peru. And the Mines Ministry had previously suggested including discussion around supply, exploration and sharing of technical knowhow be taken up in upcoming FTAs.

Tapping African nations

At least seven African nations – Zimbabwe, Zambia, Morocco, Mali, Mozambique, Malawi and Cote D’ Ivorie – are being tapped for critical minerals including copper, cobalt, lithium and others.

Over the last one year, India has signed MoUs for collaboration in the field of geology and mineral resources.

In some of the African countries, Indian companies like Vedanta (in Zambia) have a presence in activities such as copper mining, coal mining in Mozambique and so on.

“New reserves are being discovered in some African nations and they have approached us for partnering them in mapping activities, investments through Indian companies, etc,” the second official said, adding that the Ministry will carry out hand-holding activities for several Indian companies to tap into these new countries for critical mineral supplies or investments.