Washington:
The US-India Critical Minerals Security Taskforce held its inaugural meeting last week, bringing together 17 leading American and Indian companies to chart a course for bilateral collaboration spanning processing, manufacturing, technology development, and investment across the critical minerals value chain.
The move follows high-level diplomatic momentum last month, when External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a bilateral framework on “Securing Supply in Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths” — a deal that signalled both governments’ intent to institutionalise cooperation in a sector increasingly seen as a strategic battleground. The taskforce launch also aligns with the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, which is mobilising investments across mining, processing, and recycling ecosystems across the Indo-Pacific.
The taskforce has identified five immediate priority areas: lithium refining and cathode active materials, feedstock corridors, battery-grade synthetic graphite production, rare-earth processing and magnet manufacturing, and minerals recycling — sectors where both nations see complementary strengths that can be leveraged against supply chain vulnerabilities.
To translate those priorities into action, the body will operate through four structured work streams. The first focuses on supply chain security, facilitating government-industry dialogue on bilateral mining and manufacturing cooperation. The second targets technology and innovation, identifying opportunities for joint research in next-generation materials and secondary-source resource recovery. The third work stream will support members in identifying and structuring bilateral investment opportunities, while the fourth will engage policymakers to accelerate regulatory progress and support implementation of existing bilateral frameworks.
“Critical minerals have become central to the economic and strategic priorities of both India and the United States,” said Rahul Sharma, managing director of USIBC India. “By combining India’s industrial and processing strengths with U.S. technology and capital, we have a unique opportunity to build resilient supply chains together.”
The taskforce’s launch reflects a broader strategic calculus — as the global clean energy transition drives unprecedented demand for lithium, rare earths, and other critical inputs, both Washington and New Delhi are racing to diversify sourcing and processing capacity away from single-country dependencies.
US-India Business Council (USIBC), which has served as a bridge for US-India commercial ties since 1975 and represents over 200 leading companies from both nations, said the taskforce would continue engaging industry and government stakeholders to develop actionable recommendations and fast-track partnerships across the critical minerals value chain.
