The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) has welcomed India’s active role in the Finance Ministerial on Securing Critical Minerals Supply Chains, describing it as a key step in enhancing bilateral collaboration in a strategically vital sector. India was represented by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology. The ministerial was hosted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
USISPF highlighted India’s growing prominence in the global critical minerals market, noting the country’s significant reserves of essential resources, including rare earth elements, as well as a robust pipeline for exploration and auctions. The forum emphasized that leveraging India’s geological strengths is crucial for boosting the nation’s economic growth. Critical minerals are vital for advanced manufacturing, clean energy initiatives, high-technology employment, and reducing global dependence on a limited number of concentrated sources.
The forum stressed that enhanced collaboration between the United States and India on critical minerals benefits both nations strategically. For India, it supports its ambitions to become a global manufacturing and clean-energy hub. For the United States, cooperation ensures more reliable supply chains for semiconductors, defence systems, and energy-transition technologies. USISPF noted that stronger bilateral engagement could attract new investments in exploration, processing, and recycling activities in India, backed by US technology, capital, and access to international markets.
USISPF further encouraged closer government-industry partnerships, clear and predictable policy frameworks, and joint ventures across the entire mine-to-market value chain. These measures, it said, are necessary to translate India’s resource potential into tangible projects and long-term commercial agreements. The forum reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing dialogue with policymakers and industry leaders in both countries to advance actionable initiatives that build resilient and trusted supply chains.
Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements are essential components for electric vehicles, clean energy systems, electronics, and defence technologies. Recent years have seen expanded US-India cooperation across technology, defence, and supply chains as part of broader efforts to diversify sourcing and reduce strategic vulnerabilities, strengthening the partnership in this high-priority sector.
