Union Minister of Coal & Mines, Mr. G. Kishan Reddy,  recently  held a high-level meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef, in New Delhi.

The meeting aimed at strengthening cooperation in the critical minerals sector and exploring new avenues for investment and technological collaboration.

A significant development during the discussion was related to the designation of Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI) as a Centre of Excellence under the Future Minerals Forum.

This initiative will facilitate specialized training programs for geologists from Saudi Arabia, Africa and Central Asia, contributing to capacity building in the global mining sector.

Key points included:

Both leaders emphasized the need to establish reliable and secure mineral supply chains to reduce dependency on imports.

Similarly focus was laid on promoting joint ventures for processing critical minerals to support clean energy technologies.

Discussions also 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 Mr. Reddy highlighted India’s commitment to securing critical minerals essential for the energy transition and clean energy systems.

At the FMF 2025, Mr. Reddy also held discussions with representatives from Brazil, Italy, and Morocco to foster global partnerships.