Jaishankar, Rubio Forge New Path on Trade, Defence & Critical Minerals

Speaking during the weekly media briefing in the national capital, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "This conversation happened on the 13th of January. This was the first conversation between the two leaders. They discussed a range of bilateral issues, including trade, critical minerals, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, and energy. They also exchanged perspectives on regional developments."

The conversation was also referenced by Jaishankar, who on Tuesday spoke with Rubio and later shared details in a post on X, stating, "Just concluded a good conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy," adding that the two leaders agreed to remain in touch on these and other issues.

The call took place amid friction between New Delhi and Washington over trade negotiations and tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump over India's Russian oil purchases. India is currently being subjected to US tariffs of 50 per cent, even as it has been in talks with Washington since February last year, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to the US capital.

Against this backdrop, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, Tommy Pigott, confirmed that Rubio congratulated India on enacting the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India bill. Pigott said Rubio expressed interest in capitalising on this development to enhance US-India civil nuclear cooperation, expand opportunities for American companies, advance shared energy security goals, and secure critical mineral supply chains.

As per Pigott, Rubio and Jaishankar also discussed ongoing bilateral trade agreement negotiations and their shared interest in strengthening economic cooperation, while reaffirming the United States' and India's commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor later termed the conversation "positive" and said the two sides discussed next steps in bilateral trade negotiations, critical minerals and a possible meeting next month.

In a post on X, Gor wrote, "A quick update: @SecRubio Just concluded a positive call with @DrSJaishankar. They discussed next steps regarding our bilateral trade negotiations, critical minerals and a possible meeting next month."

Linking the broader engagement to emerging technology and supply chain coordination, Gor also announced that India will be invited to join the Pax Silica alliance as a full member next month. The US-led initiative aims to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain, aligning with the focus on critical minerals flagged by Jaishankar in his post.

At the inaugural Pax Silica Summit in 2025, India was excluded from the US-led 'Pax Silica' initiative, triggering sharp political criticism. India's inclusion is expected to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing and position the country as an alternative production hub.

Pax Silica is a key US State Department initiative focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and supply chain security, aimed at encouraging allies and trusted partners to coordinate on secure and reliable technology and economic systems.

- ANI