Lithium Auction Delays: A Case of Premature Celebration?

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accuses the Indian government of rushing to announce major lithium reserves without adequate data. Auctions were canceled due to insufficient bids, highlighting issues with exploration. With key industries relying on lithium, the delay in effective action is under scrutiny.

On Saturday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh lambasted the Central government for delaying the auction of lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir, attributing the hold-up to inadequate exploration data that left firms hesitant to submit bids.

In a social media post on Platform X, Ramesh highlighted the fanfare with which the Modi government announced the discovery of what it hailed as one of the world's largest lithium deposits back in February 2023. However, the November 2023 auction failed to secure the minimum three bids required, resulting in its cancellation. Despite planning a second auction round in March 2024, by July 2024, no bids had been received.

By October 2024, the Geological Survey of India was tasked with re-exploring the much-touted discovery, underscoring what Ramesh describes as the government's headline-driven approach and premature celebration. Ramesh noted that the exploration data's insufficiency was the core issue deterring companies from bidding. Plans for subsequent auctions have been charted out, but they are still months away, exacerbating concerns over the delay in tapping into this critical resource, which is pivotal for electric vehicle batteries and other industries.

(With inputs from agencies.)