India Forges Partnerships with 11 Nations for Critical Mineral Supply

India Secures Critical Mineral Supply Chains Through International Partnerships

New Delhi | July 31, 2026 - India has taken significant strides towards ensuring a secure and reliable supply chain for critical minerals, a move aimed at fostering self-reliance in future clean energy, defense, and advanced technologies. This initiative involves bilateral partnerships and cooperation agreements with 11 key nations, including the United States, Australia, France, Germany, and Japan.

The information was shared by Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, in a written response to the Parliament. This action was taken in reply to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh concerning India's access to critical minerals essential for clean energy, semiconductor manufacturing, and defense production.

Minister Margherita clarified that India is actively engaging with partner countries and relevant international initiatives to enhance the supply chains of these minerals. This includes cooperation in refining and processing technologies, ensuring long-term access to high-quality minerals, and promoting sustainable practices. India is also participating in initiatives that foster research, development, and investment across the critical minerals value chain.

Cooperation with 11 Nations for Critical Minerals

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India has concluded partnerships and cooperation agreements with Australia, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Peru, Japan, Zambia, Mozambique, Mongolia, and the United States to ensure reliable access to critical minerals. Furthermore, India is actively participating in multilateral initiatives such as the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP) / Forum on Responsible Geostrategic Engagement and the Quad Framework on Critical Minerals.

Government Measures for Long-Term Mineral Security

Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, assured Parliament that the government is implementing comprehensive measures to ensure long-term mineral security. These measures include the recycling of minerals from waste, exchange of advanced technologies, and collaborative research efforts related to critical minerals. The government has also launched the 'National Critical Mineral Mission', with the primary objective of securing a long-term and sustainable supply of critical minerals.

This mission will strengthen the entire value chain of critical minerals, encompassing stages such as exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, and the recovery of minerals from post-use products. The mission aims to fortify India's position in the global critical minerals landscape.

Growing Importance of Strategic Minerals

Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earth elements are considered the backbone of the modern economy. Their necessity is paramount in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels, wind turbines, semiconductors, smartphones, and crucial defense equipment. In the current global scenario, the mining and processing of these minerals are dominated by only a few countries.

India is emphasizing the uninterrupted supply of these strategic minerals to meet its 'Net-Zero' emission commitments and to rapidly accelerate domestic manufacturing, thereby preventing any geopolitical disruptions from negatively impacting the country's industries.