[Li-battery: India mulls USD 1.4 billion incentive plan for advanced battery components]

Ruien New Energy signed a framework agreement with the Serbian government and the municipality of Indjija on August 31 to build a high-performance battery cell manufacturing plant in Indjija, Serbia. Phase one of the project involves a planned investment of over EUR 100 million (about RMB 780 million), marking another step in Chinese battery makers' capacity expansion into Europe.

According to Reuters on September 1, India has revived talks with Zambia over investment opportunities in copper and other critical minerals, with officials from India’s Ministry of Mines holding preliminary discussions with the Zambian side on August 26. India’s state-owned overseas mineral investment platform, Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL), is also evaluating a number of overseas mining projects, including opportunities in Zambia. Indian mining industry representatives said that the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia could play an important role in meeting India’s future demand for critical minerals such as copper and cobalt. They also suggested that Indian companies prioritize projects that are already in production or close to commissioning, while securing resources through long-term offtake agreements. As India continues to expand its new energy, battery and manufacturing supply chains, its strategic push into overseas copper and cobalt resources is accelerating. If related investments or offtake agreements are eventually finalized, they could intensify international competition for African copper and cobalt resources and potentially affect regional trade flows and the longer-term supply landscape.

QatarEnergy Marketing has set its September 2026 Qatar Sulphur Price (QSP) at $880/t FOB Ras Laffan/Mesaieed, down $10/t from $890/t in August.