India, US sign critical minerals framework to strengthen supply chains
New Delhi, May 27. India and the United States on May 26 signed a new framework agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation in the mining, processing and recycling of critical minerals and rare earths, sectors considered vital for emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing.
The framework on “Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths” was signed in New Delhi by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the agreement is intended to deepen bilateral collaboration across the entire critical minerals and rare earths supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling, financing and investment. The two countries also aim to promote resilient and diversified supply chains and improve the management and recycling of critical mineral scrap.
The framework is being seen as a major step forward in implementing the strategic vision outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump during Modi’s visit to Washington in February 2025.
In the joint statement issued during that visit, both leaders had highlighted the importance of critical minerals for advanced manufacturing and next-generation technologies, identifying secure and resilient supply chains as a shared strategic priority.
The latest agreement builds upon a series of initiatives undertaken by India and the US to enhance supply chain security in key sectors. Earlier this year, on February 20, India joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative and also signed a joint statement on the “India-US AI Opportunity Partnership” as a bilateral addendum to the declaration.
The two countries have also been working together under the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE) initiative. In February this year, Jaishankar participated in a foreign ministers’ meeting on critical minerals hosted by Rubio in Washington.
The framework comes amid intensifying global competition over access to critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements, which are essential for electric vehicles, semiconductors, clean energy technologies and defence manufacturing.
