KMC holds a strategic partnership with Iskander and together have a large number of drill rigs at their disposal.

A consortium of six Indian companies, which includes four state-run companies (Hindustan Copper, Steel Authority of India Ltd, National Aluminium Co. and Mineral Exploration Corp) and two from private sector( Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd and Jindal Steel & Power Ltd), had bid for the Shaida project.

The Indian preference for the Shaida project appears to be due to its location and planned connectivity.

The Indian consortium was looking at this rail link to move the mined copper ore to the Iranian port of Chabahar; bypassing its reliance on Pakistan.

On 26 August 2012, Deputy Foreign Ministers of India, Afghanistan and Iran met ahead of NAM Summit in Tehran to discuss the utilization of Iran's Chabahar port by the Indian consortium bidding for Shaida Copper mine.

After AMG fell out of the bidding process, SRM was named the leading bidder and began negotiating for the contract.