NEW DELHI — India and the United States signed a strategic agreement Tuesday to deepen cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths, key materials used in semiconductors, electric vehicles, solar panels and high-tech defense products.
The pact comes amid growing global concern over China’s dominance in critical minerals and rare earths, a position that gives Beijing significant influence over global supply chains.
The agreement was signed during the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi in the presence of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“We are today signing a bilateral India-US framework on securing supplies of mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths. This is something we have also discussed today at the Quad meeting and whether we are doing it bilaterally, or in the Quad format or as a larger gathering of like-minded nations, it is something very timely and critical,” Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar said the framework is intended to deepen cooperation across the critical minerals and rare earth supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling and related investment.
Rubio said the agreement reflects a shared strategic interest between India and the United States in securing the materials needed for advanced economies.
India and the United States “have a strategic and shared interest in the fact that vibrant innovation economies such as ours cannot afford to leave the foundational materials of these industries vulnerable to single source monopolies that could deny us these things, not just in a time of conflict, but as a leverage point contrary to our sovereign national interests,” Rubio said.
“I have spoken often during my time here over the last few days about the strategic alliance between the United States and India and how important that is for our national interest in the United States. And today is a tangible example of it. We are two countries that have strategic interests in ensuring reliable long-term access to critical minerals and supply chains that are important for our innovation economy,” he said.
Rubio said the groundwork for the agreement was laid Feb. 4, when India participated in the Critical Minerals Forum hosted in Washington, D.C.
He also cited India’s signing of the Pax Silica Declaration, a U.S.-led strategic coalition aimed at building secure, resilient and trusted supply chains for artificial intelligence, semiconductors and critical minerals. (Source: IANS)
