The rising demand for critical minerals will require significant investment across the supply chain over the next two decades. | Photo Credit: Tuane Fernandes

GAIL (India) said on Friday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) to collaborate in critical and strategic minerals, supporting India’s long-term resource security.

The partnership provides a framework for cooperation in identifying and evaluating opportunities in critical and strategic minerals, facilitating the exchange of technical expertise, capacity building, and exploring joint initiatives across the mining value chain to help strengthen India’s long-term supply of these vital resources and clean energy transition.

Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) is a joint venture (JV) of three Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) — National Aluminium Company (NALCO), Hindustan Copper (HCL) and Mineral Exploration & Consultancy (MECL).

KABIL was established to identify, acquire, develop and secure overseas critical and strategic mineral assets to support India’s long-term economic growth, industrial development, and energy transition.

A May 2026 note by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Climate and Sustainability Initiative (CSI) emphasises that meeting the rising demand for critical minerals will require significant investment across the supply chain over the next two decades.

The note highlights funding shortfalls across the supply chain, from upstream exploration to capital-intensive midstream processing. It underscores the importance of private investment and targeted de-risking measures to attract capital into the sector, given that much of this investment is front-loaded with uncertain returns in the long term.

The success of the critical minerals mission also hinges on scaling India’s green manufacturing capacity across key sectors such as batteries, electric vehicles, solar modules, and electronics, which can drive growth in the critical minerals sector, it emphasised.

Published on July 17, 2026