India is exploring opportunities to mine strategic minerals like lithium in Argentina.

The govt undertaking, Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), is scouting for opportunities to acquire blocks of lithium and even copper in the South American country, said Union minister for mines, G Kishan Reddy.

He was in the city to attend the triennial meet of Akhil Bharatiya Khadaan Mazdoor Sangh (ABKMS), which is part of RSS-affiliated trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). The conference was held at RSS' Smruti Mandir premises at Reshimbagh.

Reddy stressed on need to mine lithium as there is hardly any source in the country. There is enough coal in the country, but sources of strategic minerals need to be explored overseas too, he said.

The development holds importance at a time when many companies have proposed to set up projects for making lithium-ion batteries, which are also used in electric vehicles. In Nagpur, JSW Group has proposed a plant to make batteries at Butibori. Another company, Vardaan Lithium Private Limited, has plans to build a refinery here. The company would be mining lithium in Zimbabwe, which would be processed for further use at its proposed plant in Nagpur.

Reddy said the power sector will continue to depend on coal in the long term and the govt has set a target of mining 1 billion tonnes of coal. If China is excluded, India is the biggest consumer of coal in the world, but China need not be counted due to its lack of transparency in policies, said the minister.

Coal imports are expected to go down too, as govt is ready to meet requirements of not only the power sector, but industries too, he said.