Researchers at the Atomic Minerals Directorate have estimated lithium reserves of 14,100 tonnes in a patch of land surveyed in Mandya, 100 km from Bengaluru. The quantity, though is quite small compared to what China produces (8.6 million tonnes) – but will go a long way in making India fuel the EV revolution.
India currently imports all its lithium needs. It imported lithium batteries worth $1.2 billion in fiscal 2019, up from $384 million in FY17.
