HC, reports of India vs China for the most populous country in the world are quite varied with some reporting that India is about to surpass China for the top spot and some reporting it has already occurred.  

India to surpass China as most populous country in 2023, UN report says | CNN

India's population is bigger than China's for the first time - BBC Newsround

Which country has the largest population? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

No matter how you look at it, India remains a huge market for BEVs and, as such, a huge market for foreign produced lithiumuntil, as you pointed out, they can bring to production their own sources of lithium, something that will take several years in the future to occur.  In the meantime LAC, LAAC and all other lithium producing companies here in North America, South America and Australia will benefit from that burgeoning market.  Considering the fact that India and China are not on the best diplomatic terms at the moment, vis a vis there militant border dispute, I think it is less likely that China will be a major trade partner for India when it comes to purchasing Chinese produced lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide... at least for the near future.

Thanks for your post, HC

Okiedo