India & US sign framework on critical supplies; G4 on board

New Delhi: India and the US on Tuesday signed a framework for bilateral cooperation on critical minerals and rare-earth supply chains, aiming to establish secure and stable supplies in the backdrop of China's weaponisation of supply chains.

The framework on 'Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths' was signed by external affairs minister S Jaishankar and US secretary of state Marco Rubio on the concluding day of his four-day visit.

Simultaneously, Quad foreign ministers, who met here during the day, agreed on a framework for critical minerals initiative, setting out key areas for cooperation among the group partners on critical minerals' supply chains, giving due regard for each partner's domestic policies and priorities.


The Quad partners intend to mobilise up to $20 billion in government and private sector support through new and existing efforts to strengthen critical mineral supply chains, including in mining, processing and recycling. Other areas include regulatory alignment & overall environment and recycling & recovery of critical minerals.

The Indo-US framework aims to deepen cooperation across critical minerals and rare earths supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling and related investments, an official said. "The signing of the framework marks an important milestone in advancing the vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald J. Trump during the prime minister's visit to Washington, D.C. in February 2025," according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.