India, France hold first joint working group meeting on critical minerals cooperation
New Delhi, July 8
France and India held the first India-France Joint Working Group on Critical Minerals in New Delhi and discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in the exploration, processing, recycling of critical minerals and rare earth elements, as well as developing resilient and sustainable supply chains, according to a release issued by the French Embassy in India.
The meeting was co-chaired by France's Interministerial Delegate for Strategic Minerals, Benjamin Gallezot, and Kameshwar Saip, Joint Secretary, National Critical Mineral Mission, Ministry of Mines, on July 6.
According to the release, Gallezot visited New Delhi on July 6-7 along with Olivier Froz, Regional Director for Asia at the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM), the French Geological Survey.
During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the exploration, processing and recycling of critical minerals and rare earth elements with the objective of building resilient and sustainable supply chains.
The discussions also helped identify areas of common interest and potential collaboration projects across France, India and other key markets, the release said.
According to the release, BRGM and the Geological Survey of India, which have maintained long-standing cooperation, participated in the discussions and identified avenues for joint work to enhance knowledge across the entire critical minerals value chain.
The release further stated that Gallezot met Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor and interacted with representatives from various Indian industries during a session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
According to the French Embassy, the visit built on the France-India Joint Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in Critical Minerals, which was signed during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India in February 2026 to strengthen cooperation in exploration, mining, research, innovation and resilient supply chains.
"The declaration provides a framework for closer cooperation in exploration, mining, research and innovation, diversification of value chains, supply chain resilience and circularity," the release stated.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting to see the Geological Survey of India and BRGM working together. They've had good collaboration in the past. Hope this time it moves beyond just MoUs and actually leads to new mines and processing plants. Also, good that they're including recycling - that's an area where we can really benefit from French technology.
As someone working in the mining sector, this is welcome news. France's BRGM has great expertise in geological mapping and exploration. Combined with India's growing demand for EVs and electronics, this could be a win-win. Just hope the bureaucracy doesn't slow things down!
Good to see this happening since the February 2025 declaration. But honestly, we need to move faster. While we talk, China already controls 60% of rare earth mining and 90% of processing. The government should also look at domestic reforms - mining clearances take too long in India. Still, better late than never! 💪
The focus on recycling is smart. We're going to have millions of tons of e-waste and battery waste in coming years. France has some of the best recycling tech in Europe. Hope this partnership includes technology transfer, not just French companies selling us equipment.
Finally, India is getting serious about critical minerals. These are essential for solar panels, wind turbines, and EV batteries - all the things we need for our green transition. France is a good partner, reliable and with great technology. But we must ensure the benefits flow to Indian companies and workers too, not just French mining firms.
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