India has resumed discussions with Zambia over potential investments in copper and other critical minerals as New Delhi seeks to secure overseas supplies for its growing manufacturing and technology sectors.
Officials from India’s Ministry of Mines held preliminary discussions with their Zambian counterparts on August 26, according to people familiar with the talks. The negotiations are focused on securing access to minerals needed for electronics, power infrastructure and the energy transition.
The latest discussions did not cover a previously stalled project involving a 9,000-square-kilometre exploration area that Zambia awarded to India last year. Talks over the project stalled after India sought assurances from Lusaka that it would receive mining rights if exploration identified commercially viable deposits.
India had deployed geologists to the area, who returned with samples containing copper and cobalt. The exploration programme was expected to run for three years before private-sector companies were invited to participate, subject to mining rights being secured.
The renewed engagement comes as India’s demand for copper and other strategic minerals continues to increase. The country is the world’s second-largest buyer of refined copper, while domestic supply has been constrained since the closure of Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper smelter in 2018.
India imported about 1.2 million metric tonnes of copper in the fiscal year ended March 2025, a 4% increase from the previous year. It is also heavily dependent on imported cobalt, with cobalt oxide shipments rising 20% to 693 tonnes during the same period.
Zambia is an important potential source because of its substantial copper and cobalt reserves. Alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, it is one of Africa’s major producers of the two minerals, which are used in electric vehicles, batteries, electronics and renewable energy equipment.
Indian companies have also been encouraged to pursue overseas mining projects, particularly brownfield developments that are already producing or close to production. Such projects could provide faster access to supplies than developing entirely new mines.
India has separately been evaluating mineral opportunities in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Russia and Indonesia, as well as a potential project in Malawi.
For Zambia, renewed Indian interest could bring investment into exploration and mining while expanding the country’s pool of international partners beyond its traditional investors.
However, the unresolved question of mining rights remains a potential obstacle. Zambia will need to provide greater clarity on the terms governing exploration and future extraction before the latest discussions can translate into a major investment agreement.
If negotiations progress, the partnership could strengthen Zambia’s position in global critical-mineral supply chains while giving Indian manufacturers greater access to essential raw materials.
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Emmanuel Abara Benson is a business journalist and editor covering artificial intelligence, global markets, and emerging technology.
He has previously worked with Business Insider Africa and Nairametrics, reporting on finance, startups, and innovation.
His work focuses on AI, digital economy, and global tech trends.
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