Manila, March 18 -- The Philippines is eyeing India as a major player in its nickel sector in a bid to diversify exports, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said.

Speaking before the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) during his official visit to India on Monday, Manalo touted that the Philippines stands as the world's largest exporter of nickel ore, with exports valued at approximately USD1.95 billion.

"Currently, nearly 98 percent of our exports go to China, with Japan importing the remaining 2 percent," he said in a news release Tuesday.

"We are quite interested to see India become a player in our nickel sector, not just for export diversification but crucially for processing and development of a va...