New Delhi: The Union Minister of Coal & Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, today held a high-level meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef, in New Delhi. The meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation in the critical minerals sector and explore new avenues for investment and technological collaboration.
A significant development during the discussion was the designation of the Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI) as a Centre of Excellence under the Future Minerals Forum. 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.
Key points of the meeting included:
– Resilient Mineral Supply Chains:Both leaders emphasised the need to establish reliable and secure mineral supply chains to reduce dependency on imports.
– Investment in Value-Added Processing: Focus was placed on promoting joint ventures for processing critical minerals to support clean energy technologies.
– Technological Collaboration:Discussions explored 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 FMF 2025, Reddy also held discussions with representatives from Brazil, Italy, and Morocco to foster global partnerships.
Union Minister Shri @kishanreddybjp had a fruitful meeting today with Saudi Minister Mr. Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef in New Delhi. Discussions focused on designating GSITI Hyderabad as a Centre of Excellence under the Future Minerals Forum to train geologists from Saudi Arabia,… pic.twitter.com/6ik1KKtls6
— Ministry of Mines (@MinesMinIndia) February 4, 2025
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).