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Sources say that India sent geologists to Zambia in order to explore copper and Cobalt deposits.

Two Indian government sources confirmed that India sent a geologist team to Zambia to investigate copper and cobalt deposit. New Delhi is stepping up its efforts to secure vital mineral supplies for its energy transition.

Zambian officials have agreed to give India 9,000 square kilometers (3,475 sq mi) for exploration of cobalt, a component used in electric vehicle batteries and mobile phones, as well as to scout copper, which is widely utilized in electronics, power generation and construction.

One source said that the project would last three years, and the majority of the analyses will be carried out in India.

Sources who refused to identify themselves because the information was not public said that the team would be expected to visit the site multiple times over the duration of the project.

Sources said that after assessing the mining potential in Zambia, the Indian government would seek a mining license from the Zambian Government and invite private sector companies to take part in the project.

The Indian Ministry of Mines has not responded to a comment request.

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.

In March, it was reported that India and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also in talks to sign a first agreement to secure cobalt supplies and copper.

The ministry posted on X that an Indian delegation visited a mining conference and toured mines in Congo in the last month.

Last week, it was reported that India had held internal discussions about its vulnerability to the tightening of the global copper market. It also plans to explore options to secure supplies from countries with abundant resources during ongoing trade talks.

India's imports of copper have increased dramatically since Vedanta closed its Sterlite Copper Smelter in 2018. In the fiscal year that ended March 2025, India imported 1.2 millions metric tons (or 4% more) of copper than the year before.

Government data shows that India is almost completely dependent on cobalt and that shipments of cobalt dioxide rose by 20% to 693 metric tonnes in 2024/25. (Reporting and editing by Mayank Bhahardwaj, Jamie Freed and Neha Arora)

(source: Reuters)