Coal India Plans Singapore Trading Hub For Critical Mineral Assets
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Coal India is setting up its first overseas trading office in Singapore to trade iron ore and critical minerals. It is also exploring bauxite, lithium and rare earth assets across Africa, Chile, Canada and Australia.
Coal India Limited (CIL) is planning its first overseas trading office in Singapore as it looks to expand into iron ore and critical and strategic minerals. The company has applied to Singapore authorities to register the office, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The proposed office will support Coal India's critical minerals business, overseas asset acquisitions and its iron ore operations. The move comes as Indian state-owned companies step up efforts to secure overseas supplies of minerals such as lithium and bauxite, and reduce their dependence on China.
Which Critical Mineral Assets Is Coal India Exploring?
Coal India is evaluating bauxite assets in Ghana and other parts of Africa, while also looking at rare earth minerals. For lithium, a key battery metal used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems, the company is focusing on Chile. CIL is also assessing mineral opportunities in Canada and Australia. The opportunities are still at a preliminary stage, according to the sources.
The company is already moving beyond its traditional coal business. Earlier this month, Coal India Limited won an iron ore block in Odisha through a competitive auction, which marks its entry into iron ore mining.
The Singapore office would therefore give it a base for both mineral trading and potential overseas acquisitions as it expands into these businesses.
How Far Has India's Overseas Critical Minerals Push Progressed?
India has been pushing state-owned companies to secure overseas critical mineral resources to support clean energy and manufacturing growth. However, overseas acquisitions and exploration efforts have so far had limited results.
According to the report, India has signed only one overseas lithium exploration and mining agreement so far. The agreement, signed in 2024, covers five lithium blocks in Argentina. The proposed Singapore setup is therefore part of the company's broader diversification beyond thermal coal rather than a completed acquisition programme.
Coal India shares are likely to be in focus, with the company now looking at both mineral assets and trading opportunities outside India.
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Vishwa has spent 10+ years across fintech and FMCG doing what most people miss, connecting the dots, catching trends before they trend, and finding the angle nobody else thought to ask about.
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