Context:
India’s negotiations with Zambia over securing mining rights for critical minerals like cobalt and copper have stalled due to lack of assurances from Zambia. These minerals are crucial for India’s energy transition and industrial needs.
- Critical minerals are special natural resources that are essential for modern technologies like electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and electronic devices.
- Examples include cobalt, lithium, and copper, which are key to batteries and electrical systems.
- Cobalt is an important material used in lithium-ion batteries found in electric vehicles and mobile phones.
- Copper is widely used in electricity generation, power transmission, construction, and electronics due to its excellent conductivity.
Why India needs critical minerals & availability status:
- India is rapidly moving towards clean energy (solar, wind) and electric mobility, which require large quantities of these minerals.
- However, India has limited domestic reserves of key minerals like lithium and cobalt.
- This creates high dependence on imports, making supply vulnerable to global disruptions.
- Hence, India is trying to secure overseas sources to ensure long-term energy and economic security.
- India launched the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) to secure supply chains, reduce import dependence, and ensure availability of these minerals for future needs.
Zambia’s importance:
- Zambia is one of Africa’s major producers of copper and also has significant cobalt reserves.
- This makes it a strategically important partner for India.
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