Minister Bahlil Reveals Opportunities For Coal And Nickel Downstream Cooperation With India

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia revealed opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector with India. One of them is downstreaming in the mineral and coal (minerba) sector.

Bahlil highlighted Indonesia's important role as one of the main producers of the world's strategic minerals. Meanwhile, India has the opportunity to support the downstreaming of the coal sector and invest in critical minerals such as nickel which is important for the development of electric vehicle batteries.

Cooperation in the nickel downstream sector is very strategic for both countries. Indonesia can become the center of electric vehicle battery production, while India acts as the main partner in the global supply chain," he said in an official statement, Sunday, January 26.

Bahlil also said that the government will continue to encourage commodity downstream policies, especially minerals and coal, as the main strategy in increasing the added value of Indonesia's natural resources.

Downstreaming, continued Bahlil, is an unavoidable step to strengthen national economic resilience. Not only providing direct economic benefits, but downstreaming also opens up great opportunities for international cooperation, one of which is with India.

Furthermore, Bahlil emphasized that downstreaming is not just increasing the added value of domestic commodities, but also creating jobs and accelerating the growth of natural resource-based manufacturing industries.

"With downstreaming, we not only export raw materials, but also export added-valued products that are able to provide greater benefits for the national economy," he said.

According to Bahlil, cooperation with India is a golden opportunity to accelerate the development of mineral and energy-based industries in Indonesia.

"This collaboration not only brings economic benefits, but also opens space for strengthening the domestic industry through technology transfer and increasing the capacity of human resources," he added.

Through good cooperation with India, Bahlil is optimistic that Indonesia will be able to accelerate its economic transformation, as well as strengthen its position as a major player in the global supply chain.

"Consistent downstream policy will have a long-term positive impact on the national economy and bilateral relations between the two countries," he explained.