Context:
India and the United States have drawn up a framework to strengthen cooperation in the supply of rare earth elements and critical minerals. The move comes amid concerns over China’s export controls on strategic metals and the need for resilient, diversified supply chains.
- Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metallic elements, including lanthanides, scandium and yttrium, used in high-technology and strategic sectors.
- They are not always geologically rare, but their extraction, separation and processing are difficult, costly and environmentally sensitive.
- Critical minerals are minerals essential for economic security, clean energy transition, defence, electronics and advanced technologies, but vulnerable to supply disruption.
- Rare earths are used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, semiconductors, missiles, satellites, magnets and batteries.
- China dominates global processing and refining of rare earth elements, creating supply-chain dependence for many countries.
- Export controls on strategic metals can affect global technology industries, defence manufacturing and green-energy projects.
- India has rare earth resources, especially in monazite-bearing beach sands, but faces challenges in processing, investment and technology.
- Cooperation with the U.S., Quad partners and other countries aims to diversify mining, processing, recycling, financing and strategic reserves.
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Critical Minerals Cooperation in India–U.S. Strategy