In a significant move to bolster global resource partnerships, India has signed 15 agreements related to critical minerals since January 2025. This development positions India as a key player in the global race to secure essential resources for clean energy technologies. Only the United States, with 41 agreements, surpasses India’s efforts. Meanwhile, India has outpaced China, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union, each of which has secured 11 agreements.
The focus of these agreements is on securing supplies of vital minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, copper, and rare earth elements. These materials are crucial for the production of electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, semiconductors, and electricity infrastructure. By expanding its international partnerships, India aims to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers and enhance its domestic capabilities in exploration, processing, manufacturing, and recycling.
The National Critical Mineral Mission, approved in January 2025, underscores India’s commitment to this strategic objective. With a government allocation of Rs 16,300 crore, the mission seeks to attract an additional Rs 18,000 crore in investment. As part of this mission, India plans to undertake 1,200 domestic exploration projects and secure overseas mining assets through public and private entities. State-owned Khanij Bidesh India Ltd has already partnered with Argentina’s CAMYEN to explore five lithium blocks spanning 15,703 hectares. Additionally, India is exploring joint investment opportunities in lithium and cobalt with Australia and has expanded cooperation with Germany and Norway.
Globally, the race to secure critical minerals is intensifying, with countries increasingly signing cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding to ensure mineral supplies and develop domestic processing industries. However, concerns about transparency persist, as 39 percent of the analyzed critical minerals agreements lack publicly available texts.
The increasing competition for critical minerals highlights the necessity for India to focus not only on securing raw materials but also on strengthening its domestic manufacturing capabilities. As global demand for clean energy technologies continues to rise, developing sustainable supply chains, creating employment opportunities, and enhancing industrial capacity will be essential for India’s long-term success in this sector.
