Ahmedabad, Nov 12 (IANS) Kutch Copper Ltd (KCL), a unit of Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), and Chile’s Codelco on Thursday announced they have formed a strategic exploration partnership at the Kaburkaala project in Calama copper belt of the Antofagasta Region in northern Chile.

The collaboration strengthens India-Chile cooperation in critical minerals, at a time when resource security has become a strategic priority for both nations.

For Adani, the proposed partnership is a strategic step in building an integrated globally diversified copper value chain, linking upstream resources in Chile with its copper smelter complex at Mundra, India and securing long term access to a mineral that is key to electrification and global energy transition.

“Critical resources, led by copper, are at the very heart of our future transformation. More than just a mining asset, we view this strategic partnership as a long-term investment in India's future. By securing robust access to global copper resources, we are building supply chain resilience for the critical industries driving our nation's growth — spanning renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, and technology,” said Jeet Adani, Director, KCL.

“This partnership is a testament to our commitment to enhancing India’s resource security and supporting its journey to becoming a global economic powerhouse,” Jeet Adani added.

For Codelco, this initiative is part of its strategy to create value from its exploration portfolio through public private partnerships, sharing risks and accelerating the advancement of copper projects with development potential.

“This MoU represents an important step in the work we have carried out with Adani over the past year. This process demonstrates Codelco’s ability to attract world-class partners and create value from its exploration portfolio, while safeguarding the long-term interests of the company and the State of Chile,” said Bernardo Fontaine, Chairman of the Board, Codelco.

The MoU was signed recently in the presence of Jeet Adani; Dr. Vinay Prakash, CEO Adani Natural Resources; and Bernando Fontaine, at the ‘LME Week 2026’ in London.

The proposed partnership would enable exploration of the Kaburkaala project to advance through Adani’s contribution of capital, technology-led exploration and large-scale project execution capability, combined with Codelco’s deep geological knowledge and international experience, with both companies focused on responsible exploration, high standards of safety and environmental stewardship, and long-term value creation.

Kutch Copper Limited is developing one of the world’s largest single-location custom copper smelter complexes at Mundra, Gujarat, designed around state-of-the-art technology, digitalisation and high ESG standards to support India’s self-reliance in critical metals.

--IANS

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