India’s Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australia’s Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) to collaborate on lithium and cobalt identification projects in Australia.

To identify lithium and cobalt mineral assets, KABIL and CMFO will undertake joint due diligence on certain Australian greenfield and brownfield projects.

Upon identifying the sites, the parties will make final joint investment decisions and acquire the assets.

The two countries will initially fund $6m for the joint due diligence process in a 50:50 ratio.

The Indian Ministry of Mines said that the MoU has a provision of allowing any other central public sector enterprise (CPSE) as an investment partner in the asset acquisition process.

According to the ministry, the due diligence process and further investment decisions are estimated to complete in six months.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The MoU follows a government-to-government (G2G) pact signed by the Indian and Australian governments in June 2020 for cooperation in the mining and processing of critical and strategic minerals.

KABIL is a joint venture (JV) between state-run firms Aluminium Company (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Ltd. (HCL), and Mineral Exploration Company Ltd. (MECL).  

Created by the Indian Ministry of Mines in 2019, KABIL aims to identify and acquire mineral assets of critical and strategic nature such as lithium, cobalt, and others in overseas territories.

This helps India achieve self-reliance in the area of critical and strategic minerals.

CMFO operates under the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER).