New Delhi, Aug. 24 -- State-run Coal India Ltd, the world's top coal producer, has set up a unit in Singapore to buy and manage critical-mineral assets overseas, marking its biggest step toward diversifying beyond fossil fuels and helping the country secure raw materials vital to the green transition.

The coal miner said, in a regulatory filing, that the wholly-owned subsidiary named 'CIL Global Pte Ltd' will explore and develop overseas opportunities in critical minerals asset acquisition, enable an efficient management of overseas investments, and provide structural flexibility for future acquisitions.

Amid its diversification process, the company has been looking at critical mineral assets across the globe, including mineral-rich Sou...