en.Wedoany.com Reported - GAIL (India) Limited and Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 17, 2026, establishing a framework for cooperation in the field of critical minerals. The MoU was signed by Sanjeev Kumar, Executive Director (R&D and Exploration & Production) of GAIL, and Sunil Kumar Singh, CEO of KABIL, in the presence of senior officials from both sides, aiming to support India's long-term resource security and drive the clean energy transition.

This critical minerals cooperation MoU provides a platform for both parties to identify and assess opportunities in the critical minerals sector. Under the agreement, GAIL and KABIL will explore potential joint projects across the mining value chain, with collaboration covering technical expertise exchange and capacity building. KABIL, an Indian state-owned mineral exploration enterprise, focuses on the acquisition and development of overseas critical minerals; GAIL, a major Indian natural gas company, possesses extensive experience in energy project execution and operations. The partnership is expected to integrate their respective strengths, creating synergies in the critical minerals sector.

The signing of this critical minerals cooperation MoU comes at a time when India is accelerating its clean energy transition, with growing demand for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths. By exploring synergies in upstream resource development and processing stages, this cooperation framework helps strengthen India's long-term access to these strategic resources, providing raw material security for the development of the new energy industry.

R. K. Singhal, Director of Business Development at GAIL, along with other senior officials from both sides, attended the signing ceremony. This critical minerals cooperation MoU reflects Indian enterprises' response to the national resource security strategy and their deepening engagement in strategic mineral sectors, also laying the foundation for the implementation of specific cooperation projects in the future.