<p>New Delhi: India is in talks with Africa as well as Latin America to get critical mineral blocks on a government-to-government basis, Veena Kumari Dermal, joint secretary of the Ministry of Mines, said on Tuesday.</p><p>Critical minerals such as lithium are essential components in many of today's rapidly growing clean energy technologies, including wind turbines, electricity networks, and electric vehicles.</p>.Indian imports of Russian coal fall, US shipments rise.<p>"We are having lots of discussions with many other resources-rich countries both in Africa as well as in Latin America for getting... a block on a G2G basis or on a priority basis," Dermal said at India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2024 organised by India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA).</p><p>The mines ministry, she said, is giving more and more importance to the exploration of critical minerals in India.</p><p>At the domestic front, the government has successfully auctioned one lithium block in Chhattisgarh, the joint secretary added.</p><p>She said the Chhattisgarh government will take steps to start the exploration and production from the lithium block at the earliest.</p><p>Maiki South Mining Pvt Ltd had last month bagged the country's first lithium block in Chhattisgarh that was put up for sale.</p><p>Meanwhile, the government cancelled the auction of 14 critical minerals that were on offer in the second round of auction.</p><p>In June, the government had put on sale 21 blocks in the fourth round of auction of critical and strategic minerals.</p><p>The government received 56 physical bids and 56 online bids for 18 of the 20 blocks offered during the first tranche of the auction, which began on November 29, 2023.</p><p>However, the auction for 13 of the 20 blocks was cancelled due to a lukewarm response.</p><p>Seven of these cancelled blocks were re-notified for auction in the third round.</p>
<p>New Delhi: India is in talks with Africa as well as Latin America to get critical mineral blocks on a government-to-government basis, Veena Kumari Dermal, joint secretary of the Ministry of Mines, said on Tuesday.</p><p>Critical minerals such as lithium are essential components in many of today's rapidly growing clean energy technologies, including wind turbines, electricity networks, and electric vehicles.</p>.Indian imports of Russian coal fall, US shipments rise.<p>"We are having lots of discussions with many other resources-rich countries both in Africa as well as in Latin America for getting... a block on a G2G basis or on a priority basis," Dermal said at India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2024 organised by India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA).</p><p>The mines ministry, she said, is giving more and more importance to the exploration of critical minerals in India.</p><p>At the domestic front, the government has successfully auctioned one lithium block in Chhattisgarh, the joint secretary added.</p><p>She said the Chhattisgarh government will take steps to start the exploration and production from the lithium block at the earliest.</p><p>Maiki South Mining Pvt Ltd had last month bagged the country's first lithium block in Chhattisgarh that was put up for sale.</p><p>Meanwhile, the government cancelled the auction of 14 critical minerals that were on offer in the second round of auction.</p><p>In June, the government had put on sale 21 blocks in the fourth round of auction of critical and strategic minerals.</p><p>The government received 56 physical bids and 56 online bids for 18 of the 20 blocks offered during the first tranche of the auction, which began on November 29, 2023.</p><p>However, the auction for 13 of the 20 blocks was cancelled due to a lukewarm response.</p><p>Seven of these cancelled blocks were re-notified for auction in the third round.</p>