India Puts Mali Lithium Project on Hold Amid Security Concerns

India has paused its planned participation in a lithium exploration project in Mali backed by Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, citing mounting security risks in the politically unstable West African nation. Sources familiar with the discussions said New Delhi is wary of investing in a region facing escalating violence from al Qaeda-linked militants who have increasingly targeted economic assets and foreign investments. Western governments, including Britain, France and the United States, have urged their citizens to leave Mali as instability deepens.

Rosatom had approached India’s government-backed Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL) and NLC India Ltd last year to collaborate on lithium exploration in Mali, an emerging producer of the battery metal crucial for electric vehicles. However, the project has now been placed on hold. “We cannot be spending on something where there is a chance we will lose our investment,” a source directly involved in the decision-making said. India’s mining ministry, KABIL and NLC India did not comment, while Rosatom declined to respond to queries.

India, the world’s fastest-growing major economy, has been aggressively seeking secure supplies of lithium to support its clean energy ambitions. The government is targeting 30% electric car adoption and 80% for two-wheelers by 2030, up sharply from current levels. In recent years, New Delhi has intensified efforts to secure critical minerals from countries such as Argentina, Australia and Chile. In 2024, KABIL signed an exploration and development agreement in Argentina for five lithium blocks, though no similar deals have been finalized since.

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