{"id":309513,"date":"2024-09-06T19:06:23","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T13:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=309513"},"modified":"2024-09-06T19:06:23","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T13:36:23","slug":"partnerships-with-africa-can-help-secure-indias-critical-mineral-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/partnerships-with-africa-can-help-secure-indias-critical-mineral-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Partnerships with Africa can help secure India&#8217;s Critical Mineral Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: The post partnerships with Africa can help secure India&#8217;s critical mineral mission has been created, based on the article \u201c<strong>Africa can make India\u2019s \u2018critical mineral mission\u2019 shine<\/strong>\u201d published in \u201c<strong>The Hindu<\/strong>\u201d on 6th August 2024.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UPSC Syllabus Topic: <\/strong>GS paper2-international relations-Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and\/or affecting India&#8217;s interests<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context<\/strong>: The article discusses India&#8217;s Critical Mineral Mission, which aims to increase domestic production, recycle minerals, and secure mineral resources from overseas. It highlights India&#8217;s partnerships with Africa and the challenges posed by China&#8217;s dominance in the mineral supply chain.<\/p>\n<p>For detailed information on <strong>Critical Mineral Mission of India<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/critical-mineral-mission-of-india-significance-and-challenges-explained-pointwise\/#:~:text=ForumIAS%20announcing%20GS%20Foundation%20Program,minerals%20like%20copper%20and%20lithium.\">read this article here<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is India\u2019s Critical Mineral Mission?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Launched in the Union Budget 2024-25 to secure critical minerals essential for India\u2019s economy.<\/li>\n<li>Focuses on three key areas: expanding domestic production, prioritizing recycling, and acquiring overseas assets.<\/li>\n<li>The amendment to the Mines and Minerals Act (1957) allowed private sector participation by removing six minerals from the atomic list.<\/li>\n<li>KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Limited) signed a lithium mining agreement with Argentina in January 2024, securing five blocks in the Catamarca province.<\/li>\n<li>However, India\u2019s capacity for mineral exploration and processing is still developing. It also lacks manufacturing expertise in battery components, requiring upskilling of its workforce.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>How can Africa be a part of India\u2019s supply chain?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Abundant Mineral Reserves<\/strong>: Africa holds 30% of the world\u2019s known critical mineral reserves, making it essential for India&#8217;s supply chain.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Strong Trade Relations<\/strong>: India\u2019s trade with Africa totaled $98 billion in 2022-23, with $43 billion from mining and minerals, showing established ties.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Energy Investments<\/strong>: India imports 34 million tonnes of oil from Africa, accounting for 15% of its total demand. India is also investing $2 billion in African solar projects.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Strategic Projects<\/strong>: India has signed agreements with Zambia and Zimbabwe to collaborate on geological mapping, mineral exploration, and capacity building.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Value Addition Focus<\/strong>: African nations are shifting towards value addition, creating opportunities for India to support local mineral processing and industrialization efforts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>What role does China play?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>China dominates the global critical mineral value chain, creating economic and security risks for India.<\/li>\n<li>China has early acquisition of assets and advanced processing and manufacturing capabilities, which gives it significant influence.<\/li>\n<li>Chinese mining companies have a large presence in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo.<\/li>\n<li>China recently signed a $7 billion &#8220;minerals-for-infrastructure&#8221; deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo, further strengthening its position.<\/li>\n<li>This control over resources poses challenges for India as it competes for access to critical minerals needed for its own economic and energy needs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>How is India responding to these challenges?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>India is leveraging its construction and infrastructure expertise in Africa, having completed projects in 43 countries. This includes hospitals, transmission lines, and railway lines.<\/li>\n<li>India also trains African professionals through programs like the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation, helping to build a skilled workforce for mining and energy sectors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Question for practice:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Evaluate how India&#8217;s partnerships with Africa can help secure critical minerals and reduce its dependence on China&#8217;s mineral supply chain dominance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Source: The post partnerships with Africa can help secure India&#8217;s critical mineral mission has been created, based on the article \u201cAfrica can make India\u2019s \u2018critical mineral mission\u2019 shine\u201d published in \u201cThe Hindu\u201d on 6th August 2024. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS paper2-international relations-Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and\/or affecting India&#8217;s interests Context:&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/partnerships-with-africa-can-help-secure-indias-critical-mineral-mission\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Partnerships with Africa can help secure India&#8217;s Critical Mineral Mission<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10382,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[212,239,10498],"class_list":["post-309513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-gs-paper-2","tag-international-relations","tag-the-hindu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10382"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309513\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}