Lithium reserve discovered in Karnataka's Mandya; boon for electric mobility in India?

India, which imports all lithium needs, is among its largest importers in the world

lithium-ion-battery-batteries-Li-ion-battery-lib-shut Indian manufacturers source Li-ion batteries from China, Japan and South Korea | File

In what could be a major boost to India's electric vehicle dreams, researchers have discovered lithium reserves in Karnataka's Mandya district, a first in India. The researchers at the Atomic Minerals Directorate, a unit of India's Atomic Energy Commission, have estimated lithium reserves of 14,100 tonnes in a small patch of land surveyed in the southern Karnataka district, according to a paper to be published in the forthcoming issue of journal Current Science, reported The Economic Times.

"The present data provides a total estimation of available Li2O as about 30,300 tonnes over an area of 0.5 km x 5 km, which works out to about 14,100 tonnes of lithium metal," the report quoted N. Munichandraiah, Emeritus Professor at the Indian Institute of Science.

The discovery could be a booster shot for India's environmentally friendly electric plans. Currently, India imports lithium, from Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, to meet its needs. Indian manufacturers source Li-ion batteries from China, Japan and South Korea. India is among the largest importers in the world.

With a surge in usage of lithium batteries over the past couple of years, India's lithium imports have tripled from 2016-17 to 2018-19. According to the Centre's estimates, lithium battery imports stood at $929 million in the eight months to November, 2019.

However, the lithium discovery in Mandya is limited compared to other countries. For instance, lithium deposit in Chile is 8.6 million tonnes, 2.8 million tonnes in Australia, 1.7 million tonnes in Argentina and 60,000 tonnes in Portugal. 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) manufactures lithium batteries but they are restricted for use in space applications. These are also limited in volumes. China dominates the Li-ion battery market. 

The government has announced investments worth $1.4 billion to make India one of the largest manufacturing hubs for electric vehicles by 2040.