India has stepped into high-level discussions on critical minerals in Washington, showing a stronger alignment with the United States and G7 countries. The talks come as major economies look to cut their heavy dependence on China-dominated supply chains for minerals that are vital for technology, defence and clean energy.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Saturday that India, Australia and a few other countries would be part of the talks. The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, along with the European Union.
Ashwini Vaishnaw arrives in DC for ministerial meeting
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw arrived in Washington, DC, on Sunday to attend a critical minerals ministerial meeting hosted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The meeting is taking place alongside a gathering of finance ministers from the Group of Seven.
Sharing an update on social media, Vaishnaw said, “Arrived in Washington, DC. Will participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial Meeting tomorrow. Secure critical mineral supply chains are vital for our goal of Viksit Bharat.”
The meeting comes just days after reports that China had started restricting exports of rare earths and powerful magnets to Japanese companies. China has also reportedly banned exports of dual-use items to the Japanese military.
India’s involvement in these discussions comes as it takes on a bigger role beyond the Quad grouping. New Delhi is set to join the US-led Pax Silica initiative ahead of an artificial intelligence summit it will host. Although India is a Quad partner, it was not originally part of Pax Silica. The initiative currently includes the US, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, Israel, the UAE and Australia. India will also take part in another US meeting on critical minerals, according to the Economic Times.
Bessent earlier told reporters that he has been pushing for a focused G7 discussion on critical minerals since last summer’s leaders’ summit. Bessent said this was driven by “China’s weaponisation of supply chains.” G7 finance ministers had already held a virtual meeting on the issue in December.
Speaking earlier to Reuters, Bessent said India was invited to attend the meeting, though he was not sure at the time whether New Delhi had accepted. It was also unclear which other countries had received invitations.
China’s strong hold on mineral refining
China’s dominance over critical minerals remains a major concern for Western economies. According to the International Energy Agency, China is the world’s top refiner for most major critical minerals, including copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements. On average, it controls around 70 percent of the global refining market. The agency also highlighted China’s grip on downstream materials such as manganese sulphate and phosphoric acid, which are essential for batteries and advanced manufacturing.
These minerals are essential for defence technologies, semiconductors, renewable energy equipment, batteries and refining processes.
Western countries have been trying to cut their dependence on China in recent years, especially after Beijing imposed strict export controls on rare earths.
Australia’s deal with the US
In October, Canberra signed an agreement with the United States to counter China’s dominance in critical minerals. The deal includes an $8.5 billion project pipeline and makes use of Australia’s proposed strategic reserve. This reserve is expected to supply key metals such as rare earths and lithium, which are considered vulnerable to supply disruptions. Canberra has since said that Europe, Japan, South Korea and Singapore have shown interest in the plan.