India-Zambia talks on critical minerals stall over mining rights, sources say
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India's talks with Zambia over critical minerals mining have stalled amid a lack of assurances from Lusaka on mining rights, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The talks matter because India has been trying to secure supplies of minerals it needs for batteries, power generation, electronics and construction, especially as it works to reduce exposure to tighter global supply chains.
Last year, India received an allocation of 9,000 square km to explore cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones, as well as copper, which is widely used in power generation, electronics and construction. India also sent a team of geologists to Zambia last year, and they have since returned with mineral samples, including cobalt and copper.
The exploration programme in Zambia was set to run for three years, after which New Delhi had planned to invite private sector companies to participate, provided mining rights were secured. It was not immediately clear why Zambia was withholding assurances, and one source said India was still trying to restart discussions with the southern African country.
India has also been speaking to other African countries about critical mineral blocks on a government-to-government basis, while exploring opportunities in Australia and Latin America. The effort comes as New Delhi looks for ways to reduce vulnerability to a tightening global copper market during broader trade negotiations.
India’s copper imports have risen sharply since Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper smelter closed in 2018. The country imported 1.2 million metric tons of copper in the fiscal year ending March 2025, up 4% from the previous year.
India is also almost entirely dependent on cobalt imports, with shipments of cobalt oxide rising 20% in 2024-25 to 693 metric tons, according to government data.
