Indonesia Partners with India to Develop Critical Minerals

Indonesia is collaborating with India to develop critical minerals and supporting facilities for steel production. Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung announced this following a meeting with Sandeep Poundrik, Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Steel.

According to Yuliot, the initiative aims to strengthen national energy resilience and unlock sustainable investment opportunities that deliver long-term economic benefits. The meeting discussed the formulation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as a framework for bilateral cooperation, which is expected to be signed at ministerial level once finalised.

“We discussed many aspects. One of the matters they raised was how to strengthen cooperation through an agreement or MoU,” Yuliot said at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry office in Jakarta on Friday, 27 February 2026.

Under the MoU, the Indian government will encourage companies from its country to invest in Indonesia, particularly in the metals industry, Yuliot explained. “The cooperation will involve India encouraging Indian companies to invest in Indonesia, especially in the metals industry,” he stated.

Both nations will also explore the development of the metals industry into equipment and capital goods that can be jointly produced. “On the utilisation side, there is also a downstream development component—what equipment or capital goods industries can be jointly developed,” he said.

The final discussion point, according to Yuliot, involved cooperation in developing capital goods through research and innovation for more efficient utilisation. India will submit a draft MoU, which will then be consulted with the Foreign Ministry regarding the framework. The signing will be carried out between the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister and India’s Steel Minister.