- Russia’s silicon reserves second only to China’s
- Critical minerals key to energy transition
India and Russia will expand cooperation in the exploration, processing and recycling of critical minerals and rare earths, the Ministry of External Affairs said following the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit on 5 December.
Both governments underlined the strategic role of critical minerals in emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing, according to a separate statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
India imported 1,424 tonnes of lithium oxides last year, worth $12.7m, while Russia’s imports of lithium oxide rose to $29.3m in 2023, data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity show. Global demand for lithium continues to be driven largely by electric-vehicle batteries.
Lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements and copper are essential for the clean-energy technologies underpinning India’s energy transition, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said in its 2025 report. Russia accounts for roughly 11 per cent of global nickel output, although European Union restrictions on Russian imports have disrupted parts of the bloc’s supply chain.
Russia also holds substantial economically viable silicon reserves, second only to China’s dominant share of global deposits. Brazil and the United States are the other major holders. Silicon is among the minerals identified in the CEEW report as critical for India’s energy transition.
High-tech industries require high-purity silicon, which is difficult to obtain from recycled sources. Recycling typically involves crushing waste materials-primarily electronics and solar panels-followed by chemical and physical separation, smelting, refining and eventual re-crystallisation, the report noted.
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