India holds EV and battery talks with Canada

India and Canada have held bilateral talks on critical minerals, battery manufacturing and clean mobility cooperation, with discussions covering supply chain partnerships for lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements essential for electric vehicle production. The meeting in New Delhi was led by H.D. Kumaraswamy, India’s Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, and Tim Hodgson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources.

Kumaraswamy highlighted India’s position among the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and noted that the country’s FAME-II scheme supported more than 1.6 million electric vehicles and enabled the creation of over 10,900 public charging stations. He also referenced an incentive programme of nearly US$2bn to develop domestic advanced chemistry cell manufacturing capability.

“We appreciate Canada’s strengths not only in the availability of critical minerals but also in their processing capabilities. This presents strong opportunities for building resilient supply chains,” Kumaraswamy said.

Hodgson described India as a leader in battery technologies and clean mobility solutions and expressed Canada’s willingness to share advanced battery technologies with Indian partners. He also conveyed Canada’s interest in greater access to Indian markets.

Discussions covered joint coordination frameworks for battery cell and component manufacturing, research and development on next-generation batteries, critical mineral supply chains, testing and certification infrastructure, and sustainable manufacturing processes. India’s National Mineral Development Corporation is also exploring coal reserves in Canada to support steel manufacturing capacity.

Source: Government of India PIB