India Eyes Venezuela’s Critical Minerals For Long-Term Supply Security
NEW DELHI-Not just oil, Venezuela holds substantial reserves of nickel, iron ore, bauxite, coal and gold, and is increasingly prioritizing lithium, nickel and rare earth elements as strategic resources, a report said on January 7.
For India, deeper investment partnerships in these areas could support long-term supply security for minerals essential to batteries, electric vehicles and clean-energy technologies.
In November 2025, the Venezuelan government conveyed its interest in attracting greater Indian investment and technical collaboration in mineral exploration and processing, signaling a potential shift in the bilateral investment agenda.
“However, given the prevailing uncertainties, the trajectory of Indian investment will depend significantly on the direction and consistency of US policy towards Venezuela, particularly with respect to sanctions enforcement and regulatory approvals,” said Rubix Data Science’s latest report.
While India’s direct trade with Venezuela has weakened due to sanctions, payment risks and operational constraints, Indian firms continue to retain legacy investment exposure, led primarily by the oil and gas sector.
Venezuelan crude, once a steady top-six pillar with a 6.7 per cent share in FY2018, has receded to around 0.3 per cent during FY2026 (April–October 2025), with shipments turning sporadic despite Indian refiners being equipped to process heavy, high-Sulphur grades.
A short-lived revival following partial easing of US sanctions in FY2024–FY2025 offered brief relief, but elevated compliance, payment and logistical risks continue to limit flows, the report said.
Amid the recent US-Venezuela crisis, the larger task ahead is managing geopolitical dependence in crude corridors while safeguarding overseas balance-sheet interests.
Despite weak trade flows, Indian firms retain balance-sheet presence in Venezuelan hydrocarbons, led by ONGC Videsh and Indian Oil with equity participation in Carabobo heavy-oil projects, alongside limited footprints of Reliance, Nayara and MRPL.
Any policy shift could directly impact these assets, the report said.
“The case illustrates India’s increasing pivot towards lower-risk suppliers and rupee-settlement-friendly routes, reducing dependence on sanctioned regimes even when crude is attractively priced,” the report mentioned. (IANS)
Natarajan Sivsubramanian
/
After reading this news item, Indian greedy billionaires will be planning to evince interest in this mineral exploration, processing
and make their offers for investment. they should not be allowed to do business with Venezuela which is now in u s control.
only vedanta industrialist may be allowed to do partnership with Venezuela in consultation with u s govt. but definitely
both ambanis and adonis will not be allowed to enter this fray, while the former continued to import russian oil and processed
in Jamnagar refinery and sold to international markets and made huge profits, adonis disregarded the new york court’s summon
to appear in the court, the law dept failed to deliver the summons thro licensed process server to Adonis. By not coming forward
to collect court summons, Gautam Adani is deemed to have insulted the u s judicial system and the judge and committed a contempt
of court. if he tries to come to u s a he will be arrested by u s authorities. there is an inherent risk in his visiting u s a.
in fact u s consulates should refuse to give business visa or b1/b2 visa to both ambanis and adanis they should be blacklisted for u s a
they cannot apply for u s a visa even through third world countries like singapore or u k etc.
this is applicable to ambani brothers including anil ambani who is the greatest fraud in the world
no one from india should be allowed to participate in any Venezuela projects, because india earned name for this country
January 7, 2026due to defective and arbitrary foreign policies.