India partnered with 11 nations, including US and Australia to ensure reliable access to critical minerals: MoS Margherita
New Delhi, July 30
India has expanded its diplomatic and strategic footprint, entering into critical mineral partnerships with countries like Australia, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Peru, Japan, Zambia, Mozambique, Mongolia, and the United States.
Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita informed the Rajya Sabha, in a written reply, on Thursday, how India is forging global alliances and domestic recycling to secure its mineral future.
Responding to a question on partnerships for critical minerals, Margherita said the government has been continuously strengthening bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral engagements to enhance critical mineral supply chains.
"The Government has been constantly working to strengthen bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral engagements to secure reliable access to critical minerals essential for clean energy technologies, semiconductor manufacturing, defence production and other emerging technologies," the Minister said in the written reply.
He said India has been engaging with partner countries and relevant international initiatives to enhance cooperation in areas including refining and processing technologies, securing long-term access to high-quality minerals, and promoting sustainable methods to ensure reliable supplies.
"Partnerships and cooperation arrangements have been entered into with countries such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Peru, Japan, Zambia, Mozambique, Mongolia and the United States, to secure reliable access to critical minerals," Margherita said.
The Minister added that India is also participating in multilateral initiatives, including the Forum on Responsible Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), which is a successor to the US-led Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), and the QUAD framework on critical minerals.
He said geopolitical developments have further highlighted the importance of resilient and diversified mineral supply chains, with the government taking steps to promote research and development, technology sharing and investment across the critical minerals value chain.
Margherita said India has launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) to secure a long-term sustainable supply of critical minerals and strengthen the entire value chain, covering exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing and recovery from end-of-life products.
"The Government has been taking measures to ensure long-term mineral security, including through recycling of minerals from waste, technology sharing and collaborative research efforts relating to critical minerals," he said.
Under the NCMM, an incentive scheme has also been launched to promote recycling capacity for extraction of critical minerals from secondary sources such as waste and scrap.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting to see India expanding its reach to countries like Zambia and Mongolia. I worked in the mining sector in Australia and know how important these partnerships are. The recycling initiative under NCMM is actually brilliant—recovering minerals from e-waste can be a game-changer for India's circular economy.
Good initiative but I hope we are not just signing agreements for the sake of it. The real test will be in implementation. Also, we need to ensure that our own domestic mining laws are updated quickly—bureaucratic hurdles often delay projects. Let's see how many of these partnerships actually translate to minerals reaching Indian factories.
Finally, some strategic thinking! With the push for EVs and renewable energy, we need lithium, cobalt, and rare earths. The QUAD and MSP involvement shows India is being taken seriously as a global player. But we must also invest in R&D for alternative materials—can't keep depending on imports forever. 😊
I appreciate the government's efforts but being a realist, I know these things take time. We've had similar MoUs with other countries in the past that didn't yield much. What gives me hope is the NCMM—having a national mission with a dedicated budget shows commitment. Let's track progress over the next 5 years. 👀
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