After success in J& K and Karnataka, the Nagaur area in Rajasthan is a key focus of the Geological Survey of India’s (GSI) exploration for lithium reserves, as it is believed to contain an estimated 2.5 million metric tons of lithium in the granite. The GSI is intensifying its exploration efforts in the region, which is geologically favorable for lithium deposits due to its alkaline granites with high lithium content. The area has undergone hydrothermal alteration, resulting in the formation of lithium-enriched minerals such as spodumene and lepidolite.
India’s electric vehicle (EV) sector is currently dependent on imports, mainly from China, for its lithium requirements. The exploration for lithium reserves in Nagaur, Rajasthan, and other states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Ladakh, and Gujarat, is crucial for India’s ambitions to become self-sufficient in its lithium requirements.
Apart from Nagaur, the GSI is conducting preliminary exploration for lithium in the Katghora-Rampur area of Chhattisgarh, which has reached the G3 level, and the Tilaiya Block in the Koderma District of Jharkhand, where geochemical mapping has shown high concentrations of lithium, cesium, and other elements.
The GSI is also exploring for lithium reserves in the Northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, where the geological conditions are favorable for lithium deposits. Meghalaya and Ladakh are also being surveyed for lithium, and the GSI has identified several locations with high lithium content.
Developing domestic lithium reserves will not only reduce India’s dependence on imports but also create job opportunities for local communities and contribute to the economic growth of the regions. Therefore, the exploration for lithium reserves in these states and Union territories assumes importance for the sustainable growth of India’s EV sector.