India Secures First Overseas Lithium Mine in Zimbabwe to Boost Electric Vehicle Battery Production
New Delhi, Thursday, 15 October 2026.
Indian critical minerals company Lohum has launched the country’s first overseas lithium mining operation in Zimbabwe. Backed by a $100 million investment, the initiative secures raw materials to feed 30,000 metric tons of planned domestic refining capacity in India, effectively reducing reliance on China for essential electric vehicle battery materials.
Strategic Investment and Timeline
Lohum plans to allocate $100 million across the next 12 to 18 months to build an ore-processing plant in Zimbabwe [2][3]. This facility will convert mined ore into lithium sulphate to comply with Zimbabwe’s export restrictions on raw ore prior to shipping it to India for final processing into lithium carbonate [2]. The company became India’s first business to begin overseas lithium mining operations last month, with the inauguration of lithium mining operations in Zimbabwe occurring on 14 October 2026 [6][7]. Prior to this inauguration, Lohum announced on 9 September that it had shipped its first batch of lithium ore from its mine in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe [5]. Founder and CEO Rajat Verma expects the domestic refining operations to reach full capacity within three years [2][3].
Refining Capacity and Import Reduction
The strategic move aims to establish an annual lithium carbonate refining capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes in India to serve the domestic electric vehicle market [1][3]. This expansion is critical as India imports more than 80% of its critical mineral requirements, leaving EV batteries vulnerable to supply chain disruptions [2]. By securing raw lithium from the newly opened mine in Zimbabwe, Lohum intends to reduce India’s reliance on China for essential electric vehicle battery materials [1][7]. Verma stated that setting up lithium processing capacity in Zimbabwe was critical for his business as it works to reduce India’s reliance on China [1].
Mining Reserves and Operational Status
Lohum has secured mining rights to 10 blocks in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland South Province, with an option to acquire up to 90 additional adjacent blocks [7]. The initial blocks hold an estimated 30 million to 40 million tons of spodumene ore, which is valued at approximately $7 billion in-situ [7]. This resource is projected to yield 300,000 metric tons of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent over the mine’s life [7]. The company is injecting $100 million into the project over the next 2-3 years to facilitate this extraction and initial processing [7].
Market Outlook and Chemistry Focus
Output of the refined lithium will mainly supply Lohum’s planned 20,000t cathode materials plant, a Rs20bn ($210.8m) facility engineered specifically for nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistries [2]. Verma projected that NMC will represent 30% to 35% of India’s EV battery sector, whilst also matching export demand in the US [2]. Established in 2018 as a battery recycling firm, Lohum is targeting revenue of Rs100bn by 2029 [2][3]. The $100 million investment in Zimbabwe represents approximately 47.438 percent of the cost of the planned cathode materials facility, highlighting the significant capital allocation toward securing upstream supply [2][3].