Indian mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This policy briefing examines the presence and operations of Indian mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), specifically focusing on the copper, cobalt, tin, and tantalum sectors. It highlights the growth of small and medium-sized Indian firms, their reliance on self-funding rather than state or Western capital, and the environmental and political risks they face in the Katanga province.

• Indian mining companies in the DRC operate on a relatively small scale compared to mining majors from Canada, Australia, the US, and Chinese state-owned operators. They have grown primarily by reinvesting their own profits due to a lack of access to capital from Indian state-owned banks and Western stock exchanges.
• Rubamin, India's largest processor of cobalt and zinc oxide, established a plant in Katanga in 2008 with a $25 million investment. The plant has a yearly capacity of 15,000 tonnes of cobalt concentrate and 10,000 tonnes of black copper, with output exported almost exclusively to China.
• Chemaf, a subsidiary of the UAE-registered Shalina Resources, operates the Etoile open pit mine and Usoke processing plant. The Usoke plant has faced allegations from an NGO regarding severe environmental pollution, including water supply contamination and sulphurous air emissions, though the company denies these claims.
• Somika operates a joint venture mine in Kolwezi and a processing plant in Lubumbashi. Its tin and tantalum division, Mining Mineral Resources (MMR), is positioning itself as a producer of 'conflict-free' minerals by implementing a tagging and traceability project devised by the UK-based ITRI.
• Mining Mineral Resources (MMR) began constructing a tin smelter in Lubumbashi scheduled for late 2011. This facility is intended to increase the purity of tin and ensure more added value remains within the DRC.
• Afromet is the only Indian-owned comptoir operating in North and South Kivu. Between January and May 2010, it purchased cassiterite valued at $1.8 million, which was sent to Met Trade India Ltd in India.
• The primary risk for Indian mining companies in Katanga is political instability following the departure of Governor Moïse Katumbi at the end of 2011, as his successor may change the policies that previously supported these companies.

APA

Mthembu-Salter, G. (2011). Indian mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Policy-Briefing-35.pdf

Chicago

Mthembu-Salter, Gregory. Indian mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2011. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Policy-Briefing-35.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mthembu-Salter |first1=Gregory |title=Indian mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=October 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Policy-Briefing-35.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mthembusalter2011indian, author = {Mthembu-Salter, Gregory}, title = {{Indian mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Policy-Briefing-35.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }