The Zambian government this year agreed to allocate 9 000 square km to India for the exploration of cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones, as well as for scouting copper, which is widely used in power generation, electronics, and construction.

The exploration project will last for three years, and most of the analysis will be done in laboratories in India, one of the sources said.

The team is expected to make multiple visits over the course of the entire project, said the sources, who declined to be identified because the information is not public.

After assessing the mining potential, the Indian government will seek a mining lease from the Zambian government and may also invite private-sector companies to participate in the project, the sources said.

India's Ministry of Mines did not respond to a request for comment.
New Delhi has been in talks with several African countries to acquire critical mineral blocks on a government-to-government basis, while also exploring opportunities in Australia and Latin America.

--Reuters--