Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: The Government is expected to auction lithium blocks in Jammu and Kashmir later this year, said media reports on May 2, quoting mining secretary Vivek Bharadwaj.
“Have recommended transaction advisor to Jammu and Kashmir government for lithium reserves auction,” he said.
Lithium falls in the critical resource category, which was not earlier available in India and we were dependent for its 100 per cent import.
Sapphire is also being explored in the region.
Earlier in February, the Central Government said that 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves have been found for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the key components in EV batteries.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari recently said if India can use the recently discovered reserve of lithium in Jammu and Kashmir, it can become the world’s number-one automobile manufacturer in the electric vehicle segment.
