AHMEDABAD, November 2026 : Kutch Copper Ltd (KCL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), and Chilean state-owned copper producer Codelco have entered into a strategic exploration partnership for the Kaburkaala project in the Calama copper belt of Chile’s Antofagasta Region.
Announced on Thursday, the collaboration is aimed at strengthening India-Chile cooperation in critical minerals and securing long-term access to copper, a key resource for electrification, renewable energy and the global energy transition.
For the Adani Group, the proposed partnership represents a strategic step towards building an integrated and globally diversified copper value chain. The plan seeks to connect upstream copper resources in Chile with Kutch Copper’s smelting operations at Mundra in Gujarat, India, strengthening the supply chain for a metal essential to several rapidly growing industries.
“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,” said Jeet Adani, Director of Kutch Copper Ltd.
He said securing reliable access to global copper resources would help build supply chain resilience for industries driving India's economic growth, including renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure and technology.
“This partnership is a testament to our commitment to enhancing India’s resource security and supporting its journey to becoming a global economic powerhouse,” he added.
Adani-Codelco Partnership to Advance Chile Copper Exploration
For Codelco, the partnership forms part of its strategy to unlock value from its exploration portfolio through public-private collaborations. The company aims to share project risks, attract investment and accelerate the development of copper exploration assets with commercial potential.
Bernardo Fontaine, Chairman of the Board of Codelco, said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) marked an important milestone in the engagement between the two companies over the past year.
He said the collaboration demonstrated Codelco's ability to attract international partners and generate value from its exploration portfolio while protecting the long-term interests of the company and the Chilean state.
The MoU was signed recently during LME Week 2026 in London in the presence of Jeet Adani, Dr Vinay Prakash, CEO of Adani Natural Resources, and Bernardo Fontaine.
Capital, Technology and Geological Expertise to Drive Project
Under the proposed arrangement, Adani is expected to contribute capital, technology-led exploration capabilities and experience in executing large-scale projects. Codelco will bring its geological expertise and international experience in copper exploration and development.
The companies intend to work towards advancing exploration at the Kaburkaala project, with an emphasis on responsible resource development, high safety standards and environmental protection.
The partnership is expected to combine Adani's project execution capabilities with Codelco's understanding of the region's geology. Both sides have identified long-term value creation and responsible exploration as key priorities.
Mundra Copper Smelter to Strengthen India's Critical Minerals Supply Chain
Kutch Copper is developing a large single-location custom copper smelter complex at Mundra in Gujarat. Designed with advanced technology, digitalisation and high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, the facility is intended to support India's growing demand for critical metals and strengthen domestic copper production capacity.
Copper is an essential raw material for power transmission, electric vehicles, renewable energy infrastructure, electronics, construction and advanced manufacturing. Demand for the metal is expected to remain closely linked to global electrification and clean energy investments.
The proposed Chile partnership could provide Adani with access to upstream copper resources while supporting the development of its downstream smelting operations in India.
The collaboration also reflects the growing importance of international partnerships in securing critical minerals as countries seek to strengthen supply chains and support their energy transition goals.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
