This guest lecture explored the rising strategic importance of Africa’s essential raw materials, as well as the ramifications for global markets, military security, and India’s diplomatic and economic policies. Africa has some of the world’s largest deposits of vital minerals used in electric cars, renewable energy systems, aerospace, electronics, and advanced defence technology. Cobalt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lithium from Zimbabwe and Mali, rare earth elements from South Africa and Malawi, and graphite and nickel from Morocco, Madagascar, and South Africa are all valuable resources. Despite this richness, Africa’s contribution has generally been restricted to extraction because of financial constraints, poor infrastructure, inadequate technical competence, energy difficulties, and insufficient regional collaboration.
