Ministry Of Mines Announces Discovery Of Massive Lithium Deposits In J&K

The ministry of mines has announced a discovery, they have found lithium in a town of the northern state of India i.e Jammu and Kashmir, Reasi. Lithium is used to make batteries for electric vehicles. Mines in the early stages of exploration are also referred to as G3 mines.

At Salal-Haimana in the Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), the Geological Survey of India has found 5.9 million tonnes of inferred resources (G3) of lithium, which is used to make electric vehicle (EV) batteries, for the first time in the nation. 

In a tweet, the ministry announced that the secretary of the mines ministry Vivek Bhardwaj handed over 16 geological reports and 35 geological memorandums to state governments during the 62nd Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB).

“The unavailability of Lithium has been one of the reasons why India has been dependent on other countries for Li-Ion batteries and other EV components. Lithium being one of the core elements of the Li-Ion batteries and taking into consideration the financial impact of sourcing Lithium, the recent discovery of Lithium reserves in J&K does come in as a new lease of life as it further enables India’s ambition to become self-sufficient in its energy storage needs. The report from the Geological Survey of India about the discovery brings hope for localised production of Li-ion cells and batteries, which will also go a long way in reducing our trade deficits with the neighbouring country,” said Pankaj Sharma, Co-Founder & Director, Log9 Materials.

“The Mines Ministry of India has announced the discovery of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir. This is a major boost for the Indian EV industry, as it is heavily dependent on imported cells from China and Taiwan. With this new development, battery costs are expected to come down significantly, as we will now be able to source cells from within the country,” said Varun Goenka, CEO & Co-Founder, Chargeup  

This can help in reducing the dependence on China. This will have a huge impact on the cost of batteries and make EVs more affordable for consumers. This is a major step forward for the EV industry in India, and it will help to accelerate the adoption of EVs in the country.