India and the United States on Tuesday signed a bilateral framework on critical minerals and rare earths, deepening cooperation across mining, processing and recycling supply chains as both countries move to secure long-term access to materials critical for electric vehicles, batteries, semiconductors 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.
The agreement comes amid intensifying global competition over access to lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and rare earth elements used in clean energy systems, electronics, aerospace and defence manufacturing.
The ministry of external affairs said the framework aims to deepen India-US cooperation across the entire critical minerals and rare earths supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling and related investments, while promoting resilient and diversified supply chains.
“We are today signing a bilateral India-US framework on securing supply of mining and processing of critical minerals and rare-earths,” Jaishankar said at the signing ceremony.
“This particular framework aims to deepen our cooperation across the entire critical minerals and rare-earth supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling, and related investments. It will certainly strengthen resilient and diversified supply chains,” he said.
The agreement builds on commitments made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in February 2025, when India and the US identified secure critical mineral supply chains as a shared strategic priority.
The US Embassy described the agreement as “a milestone in the strategic partnership between the two nations to ensure that the foundational elements required for advanced technology and energy are available within trusted networks.”
The statement assumes significance amid growing concerns among major economies over concentrated global control of rare earth processing and battery mineral supply chains.
According to the US Embassy, the US government is supporting critical mineral supply chain projects with more than $30 billion through investments, loans and financing support in partnership with the private sector.
“These investments… will generate billions of dollars in new projects to secure our supply chains,” the embassy said.
Rubio called the agreement “a tangible example” of the growing strategic alliance between India and the US.
“We are two countries who have a strategic interest in ensuring reliable long-term access to critical minerals and supply chains that are important for our innovation economy,” Rubio said.
India became a signatory to the US-led Pax Silica initiative in February this year and also partnered with the US under the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE) initiative.
The agreement comes as India accelerates electric vehicle adoption, battery manufacturing and renewable energy deployment, sharply increasing long-term demand for critical minerals and rare earth elements.
“This is something very timely, something very important, something very critical,” Jaishankar said, referring to broader discussions on critical mineral security among Quad nations and like-minded countries.