Jammu and Kashmir has one of the largest known lithium reserves in the world.[1] On 13 February 2023, the Government of India's Ministry of Mines announced that the Geological Survey of India had discovered 5.9 million tonnes lithium ore,[2] [3] in the Himalayan foothills at Salal-Haimana, Reasi in the near vicinity of Bhimgarh castle, built by legendary Indian general Zorawar Singh as his residence. The single finding alone ranked it at the time as 7th largest known reserve in the world.[4] Jammuite lithium is high grade 500 ppm. Standard values of the element's concentration for commercially viable mining operations range from 100 to 200 ppm.[5]
In the U.S., the typical concentration in a brine may be 100 to 200 ppm of lithium