Lithium-Sourcing Roadmap for India

This report aims to provide a strategy to guide policy-makers in sourcing lithium responsibly to promote clean energy manufacturing in India, with the aim of supporting low-carbon economic growth, creating equitable jobs, and helping to mitigate climate change impacts. It analyzes strategies of mineral-rich nations, key importing nations, and international companies, to provide recommendations for policy-makers and industry to secure lithium supply.Lithium is a key mineral used in lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technologies and is anticipated to play a pivotal role in driving the uptake of electric vehicles and stationary storage applications over the next decade. Its criticality is reflected in its inclusion in the critical minerals list of eight major global economies (the United States, European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia, China, Republic of Korea, and India), one of only three minerals to be included in an assessment by all eight countries (the others being tungsten and cobalt). In 2023, India reaffirmed lithium’s importance by designating it as a “critical” mineral along with 29 other minerals. The International Energy Agency (IEA) also forecasts that lithium for clean energy will see the fastest growth in global demand among different critical minerals, growing by 17 times between 2022 and 2045 under the IEA’s net-zero scenario, underscoring its unique importance in driving the energy transition.