India and US Sign Critical Minerals Framework Agreement

Delhi and Washington signed a framework agreement on May 26 during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India to secure supplies of critical minerals and rare earths, including their mining and processing.

According to a US embassy statement, the framework would allow the United States and India to engage in international efforts to protect sensitive supply chains from “coercive market practices” and reduce their collective “vulnerability to single-source monopolies”.

The bilateral pact was signed before the Quad countries – Australia, India, Japan and the US – agreed in Delhi to launch a US$20 billion critical minerals framework.

The India-US pact comes amid mounting concern over China’s export controls on rare earth elements and strategic metals vital for global technology supply chains.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar described the agreement as “something very timely and critical”, while Rubio underscored the strategic importance of ensuring reliable long-term access to critical minerals and supply chains for both countries.