India’s Kiri Industries Limited (KIL) is exploring a major investment in the Philippines to develop an integrated copper smelting, refining, and fertilizer production facility. The project is being discussed with Makilala Mining Company, Inc. (MMCI) and is seen as a step toward strengthening the country’s minerals value chain while supporting agriculture.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in media release said, the expression of interest was conveyed during a meeting between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and KIL Chairman and Managing Director Manish Kiri, alongside senior executives of the company, at the Taj West End in Bengaluru, India.
The potential investment is expected to complement the Department of Trade and Industry–Board of Investments’ (DTI-BOI) Green Metals initiative, which seeks to use the Philippines’ abundant copper, nickel, and cobalt reserves to build responsible and sustainable processing industries that will supply materials needed for the global shift to clean energy.
“This has the potential to become a legacy investment that transforms our critical minerals sector into a value-adding, job-generating, and agriculture-supporting engine for national growth. Kiri’s vision is in line with our Bagong Pilipinas agenda — it is green, inclusive, and deeply connected to the development of our rural communities,” DTI Secretary Cristina A. Roque.
The integrated model being explored by KIL aims to connect copper processing with fertilizer production. This approach is designed to create shared value across industries: securing the supply of refined copper for clean energy applications, while providing fertilizers that directly benefit the country’s agriculture sector.
The investment is expected to generate jobs in both mining and downstream processing while supporting agricultural productivity. By linking resource development with fertilizer production, the project intends to address two critical national goals: strengthening the minerals industry and building agricultural resilience.
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