India and US Sign Critical Minerals Framework to Secure Supply Chains

India and the United States have signed a landmark framework agreement designed to strengthen cooperation across the critical minerals and rare earths supply chain, signaling a deepening of strategic and economic ties between the two nations.

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 covers the full spectrum of the supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling, and related investments, while also promoting collaboration in financing and the effective management of critical minerals scrap.

The Ministry of External Affairs described the signing as a significant milestone in advancing the shared vision outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald J. Trump during Modi's visit to Washington, D.C. in February 2025.

The India-US Joint Statement issued at the time had highlighted the strategic importance of critical minerals for emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing, identifying secure and resilient supply chains as a shared national priority for both countries.

The framework also builds on a series of recent bilateral developments. In February 2026, India joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative, further cementing its role in global supply chain security efforts. India also signed a Joint Statement on the India-US AI Opportunity Partnership as a bilateral addendum to that declaration.

Adding momentum to the relationship, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar participated in a Foreign Ministers' Meeting on critical minerals hosted by Rubio in Washington, D.C. earlier in February. Both countries are also collaborating under the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement, known as FORGE, which focuses on resource security and strategic mineral diplomacy.

The agreement comes at a time when nations worldwide are racing to diversify and secure their access to critical minerals, which are essential inputs for electric vehicles, semiconductors, renewable energy systems, and advanced defense technologies. For India, the framework represents an opportunity to position itself as a key player in global critical mineral supply chains, leveraging its mining potential and growing industrial base to meet rising global demand.