Khanij Bidesh receives environmental permit from Argentinian government for in-depth exploration of five types of lithium

New Delhi: State-owned Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) has received environmental clearance from the Argentine government to conduct deep exploration of five brine lithium blocks in the South American country.Officials said Argentina’s environmental permit will allow boreholes to conduct survey and exploratory drilling and determine the total amount of key minerals that can be extracted.Mines minister Piyush Goyal told reporters that the mines are expected to start production in 2029. He also said the government was developing a critical mineral processing plan, which was in the final stages.KABIL signed an exploration and development agreement with a state-owned enterprise in Catamarca Province, Argentina, to help India strengthen lithium supply and develop lithium mining and downstream industries in both countries.India is also exploring investment opportunities in lithium projects in Brazil, Canada and Australia.Goyal told reporters that India cannot import lithium from abroad due to the lack of domestic processing value chain.“Processing plans for the critical mineral value chain are at an advanced stage,” he said, adding that details would be shared once approval was given. Lithium is an important raw material for batteries. The program is expected to strengthen the country’s resilience for electric vehicles and batteries.