India's Battery Manufacturing Ambitions Take Shape Through Lohum's Global Mineral Hunt
Lohum's nickel mine hunt reveals India's bigger goal: building a domestic battery manufacturing chain to rival China.
Indian critical minerals producer Lohum is expanding its reach across the battery supply chain, from mining to manufacturing, in an effort to reduce dependence on China. The company aims to increase nickel production capacity tenfold, from 1,000 to 10,000 metric tonnes annually, within 18 months. To achieve this, Lohum is acquiring nickel mines in Indonesia and the Philippines, and plans to construct a cathode active material plant and a rare earth magnet plant in Uttar Pradesh.
The company has also secured rights to lithium mining blocks in Zimbabwe and is constructing a lithium processing facility. Lohum's strategy extends to lithium-ion battery recycling, with a plant under construction in Sharjah. The timing is strategic, as India seeks to expand renewable energy and EV adoption, requiring secured mineral inputs to sustain manufacturing ambitions.
Meanwhile, China is tightening its grip on the critical mineral processing industry, further emphasizing the importance of India's manufacturing-focused approach in securing its supply chain.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
