India and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday agreed to strengthen cooperation in the critical mineral sector. Mines minister G Kishan Reddy held a high-level meeting with Saudi Arabia’s minister of industry and mineral resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef to discuss on the opportunities and exploring new avenues for investment and technological collaboration.
A significant development during the discussion is related to the designation of Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI) as a centre of excellence under the Future Minerals Forum, the government said.“This initiative will facilitate specialised training programmes for geologists from Saudi Arabia, Africa and Central Asia, contributing to capacity building in the global mining sector,” it said.
The discussion also focused on building a resilient mineral supply chain to reduce dependency on imports and promoting joint ventures for processing critical minerals to support clean energy technologies.The talk also aimed at exploring potential cooperation in adopting advanced mining technologies and innovation for sustainable mineral exploration and extraction.
The dialogue builds on India’s engagement at the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) 2025 in Riyadh, where Reddy highlighted India’s commitment to securing critical minerals essential for the energy transition and clean energy systems.
At the forum, the minister also held discussions with representatives from Brazil, Italy, and Morocco to foster global partnerships.“This meeting marks a significant step in India’s efforts to develop international partnerships for mineral security and sustainable development, aligned with the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM),” the government said.
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