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Informist, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025

 

--Govt source: Discussing MoU with Saudi Arabia to explore critical minerals

--Mines secy: Govt OKs inking MoU with Mongolia to explore critical minerals 

 

NEW DELHI – India is in talks with Saudi Arabia for the exploration of critical minerals in the West Asian kingdom, a senior government official said on the sidelines of a press briefing by the Ministry of Mines Thursday. The development comes weeks after Minister of Mines G. Kishan Reddy held a high-level meeting with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef on Feb. 6.

 

"The two ministers agreed to do an MoU during the meeting," the official said. "A draft regarding the same has already been shared by India. A draft from their (Saudi Arabia's) end is yet to be recieved. Once done, there will be discussions and negotiations on it, after which a final MoU will be signed."

 

India is also exploring the mining of critical minerals in Mongolia, Zambia, and Congo, Mines Secretary V.L. Kantha Rao said at the briefing. According to the secretary, the Cabinet has approved the inking of a memorandum of understanding with Mongolia for this purpose. India has been trying to reduce its reliance on imports of minerals such as lithium, key to energy transition technologies.

 

The secretary also said Zambia's government has agreed to give 9,000 square km to India to carry out exploration for cobalt and copper. "We will need 2-3 years to explore and hope to get mining rights thereafter," Rao said. India is also looking at Congo and Tanzania for mining critical minerals and is in talks with the governments of those countries, the secretary said.

 

Reddy, addressing the conference, said the Cabinet has approved a memorandum of understanding with Israel for collaboration in exploration and processing of critical minerals. "We are working with Israel to get their technology to extract potash from sea water," he said. This could benefit India's fertiliser industry, given the country's heavy reliance on potash imports.  End

 

Reported by Pallavi Singhal

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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