India Begins Mineral Hunt in Zambia
In a significant step toward securing critical minerals for its clean energy ambitions, India has deployed a team of geologists to Zambia to explore vast reserves of copper and cobalt, according to Indian government sources. These minerals are crucial for India’s energy transition, especially in sectors like electric mobility, renewable power, and electronics manufacturing.
The Zambian government has formally allocated 9,000 square kilometers of land to Indian agencies for a dedicated three-year mineral exploration mission. The project will primarily target cobalt, a key metal used in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), mobile phones, and other electronics, and copper, a versatile metal essential for electrical wiring, infrastructure, and clean energy systems like solar panels and wind turbines.
This marks a crucial step in India’s broader push to reduce dependence on Chinese and Congolese mineral supply chains, as it races to build a resilient and self-reliant green economy.