India has resumed discussions with Zambia over potential investments in copper and other critical minerals, as New Delhi accelerates efforts to secure overseas supplies for its rapidly expanding economy, according to CNBC Africa. Officials from India’s Ministry of Mines held preliminary talks with their Zambian counterparts on August 26, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
The renewed engagement comes months after earlier negotiations stalled over mining rights for a 9,000 square kilometre area that Zambia awarded to India for exploration. The latest discussions did not cover that stalled project, suggesting that both sides may be exploring alternative investment opportunities. India’s overseas minerals acquisition agency, Khanij Bidesh India Ltd, is also assessing projects in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Russia and Indonesia, while pursuing a potential project in Malawi.
Copper and cobalt are particularly important to India’s strategy, given their role in power infrastructure, electronics, electric vehicles and clean energy technologies. India is already the world’s second largest buyer of refined copper, and the government expects the country could need to import as much as 91% to 97% of its copper concentrates by 2047. Zambia, alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, is therefore emerging as a strategically important African partner for India’s resource security.
The renewed talks could open the door to Indian capital, mining expertise and long term offtake agreements in Zambia, while giving Zambia another major international partner as competition for Africa’s critical mineral resources intensifies. For India, the engagement forms part of a broader push to build more secure mineral supply chains outside its domestic market.
