India plans to seek key mineral projects in South America and Africa and tender for domestic mining areas. In an interview, VL Kantha Rao, the secretary of the Indian Ministry of Mines, said that India plans to dedicate around half of its domestic exploration projects in the next year to key minerals such as graphite, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, and lithium. The government also plans to announce the list of winners for the auction of 20 mining blocks in November last month next month. India announced in January that it had acquired five lithium blocks in Argentina. VL Kantha Rao also said that India is considering seeking key mineral projects in Chile and Bolivia, and mentioned African countries such as Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique, and South Africa.