In a move highlighting India’s growing strategic and technological engagement with global partners, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw participated in a high-level multinational meeting in Washington, D.C., on Monday to discuss the strengthening of critical minerals supply chains. The meeting brought together finance ministers and senior officials from ten countries, including representatives from the G7 nations, Mexico, and the European Union, with the discussions focused on addressing vulnerabilities in global supply chains and mitigating overreliance on any single country, particularly China, which currently dominates the production and processing of many critical minerals.

Hosted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the gathering underscored the strategic importance of minerals like lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, and other materials critical to modern manufacturing, electronics, renewable energy, and defence industries. According to a readout issued by the US Treasury Department, participants emphasised the need for “prudent derisking” of supply chains, highlighting concerns that excessive concentration of production in limited geographies makes the global economy vulnerable to disruption, coercion, or market manipulation.

China, the report noted, currently leads production in 30 minerals classified as critical by the US Geological Survey, producing roughly 70% of global rare earth minerals and controlling over 90% of their global processing capacity. These figures underline the strategic imperative for nations like India, the US, and their allies to diversify sources of supply and ensure resilient access to these essential materials.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter) after the meeting, Minister Vaishnaw noted that the discussions were particularly relevant to India’s manufacturing sector, highlighting that strengthened access to critical minerals would be a vital driver for the country’s electronics, battery, and renewable energy industries. “Strengthening critical mineral supply chains will aid India’s manufacturing capabilities and electronics sector,” Vaishnaw said, emphasising the importance of reliable and sustainable sourcing for strategic economic growth.

The meeting in Washington also laid the groundwork for closer multilateral collaborations in critical minerals research, recovery, and processing technologies. Officials present described the discussions as a starting point for joint initiatives to address supply chain risks, encourage investment in mining and processing infrastructure, and develop alternative sourcing strategies.

This development comes at a time when the United States is preparing to invite India to join Pax Silica, a flagship initiative focused on creating secure supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence technologies, and critical minerals. US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor, during his visit to New Delhi on Monday, confirmed that India would be formally invited to join Pax Silica as a full member next month. The initiative currently includes countries such as Japan, South Korea, and the UK, reflecting a shared commitment to reducing dependency on single-country suppliers and enhancing technological and industrial resilience among participating nations.

India’s Ongoing Initiatives in Critical Minerals

India has already taken a number of steps in recent years to develop its critical minerals ecosystem. In October 2024, India and the US signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen critical mineral supply chains. As part of this partnership, the two countries launched the Strategic Mineral Research Initiative, aimed at recovering and processing lithium, cobalt, and rare earth minerals from domestic industries such as aluminium, coal mining, and oil and gas.

India also became a member of the US-led Minerals Security Partnership in 2023, a 14-nation alliance including the European Union, designed to catalyse investments in robust and responsible critical mineral supply chains. This initiative aligns economic objectives with climate and sustainability goals, ensuring that critical materials required for technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, and high-tech electronics are both secure and environmentally responsible.

Vaishnaw’s participation in the Washington meeting reflects India’s ambition to play a central role in the global critical minerals landscape, leveraging its domestic resources and growing technological base to support both national development and global supply chain resilience. It also signals India’s intent to integrate more deeply with international efforts to reduce overreliance on dominant suppliers, particularly in light of geopolitical and trade uncertainties.

Bilateral Engagements and Future Collaborations

During his visit, Vaishnaw also held discussions with Michael Kratsios, the director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy and former top science adviser under the Trump administration. The two officials discussed potential collaborations on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, ahead of the upcoming India AI Summit in February 2026, which Kratsios is expected to attend.

Such engagements are part of a broader strategic and technological partnership between India and the US, which extends beyond critical minerals to semiconductors, AI development, defence manufacturing, and renewable energy technologies. Strengthening supply chains for critical minerals is seen as foundational to these broader objectives, as many of the technologies driving economic growth and security depend on reliable access to essential raw materials.

Strategic and Economic Implications for India

India’s push to secure critical minerals supply chains carries both economic and strategic significance. Economically, it can reduce vulnerabilities in India’s growing electronics, battery, and EV sectors, enabling domestic manufacturing to scale without interruptions caused by global supply constraints. Strategically, it strengthens India’s bargaining position in geopolitical negotiations, particularly as countries seek alternatives to Chinese-dominated supply chains for rare earths and other key minerals.

By participating in multilateral discussions like the Washington meeting and initiatives like Pax Silica, India can also attract investment, technology transfer, and knowledge sharing in areas critical to industrial development. This could boost domestic research in mineral recovery and processing technologies, enhance environmental sustainability in mining operations, and accelerate the production of high-tech materials necessary for emerging technologies.

Conclusion

Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s participation in the Washington multinational meeting underscores India’s proactive approach to building resilient, diversified, and secure supply chains for critical minerals. The discussions with the G7, EU, and other partners, along with India’s potential inclusion in Pax Silica, signal a broader commitment to reducing overreliance on single-country suppliers, particularly in strategic sectors such as electronics, AI, and renewable energy.

With domestic initiatives like the Strategic Mineral Research Initiative and active participation in the Minerals Security Partnership, India is seeking to leverage its natural resources, technological capabilities, and strategic partnerships to emerge as a key player in global critical mineral supply chains. Strengthened access to these materials will not only support the growth of India’s manufacturing and electronics sectors but also enhance the country’s strategic autonomy in the global technology and industrial landscape.

Vaishnaw’s engagements in Washington and follow-up meetings with US officials like Kratsios are likely to translate into concrete collaborations, investments, and technology partnerships in the near future, positioning India as both a consumer and a producer of critical minerals essential for 21st-century technologies. As global attention increasingly turns to the vulnerabilities of supply chains in the post-pandemic and geopolitically complex era, India’s role in securing and strengthening critical minerals supply chains may prove pivotal for both national development and global industrial stability.