In a strategic move to bolster its position in the global race for critical minerals, India has signed 15 agreements since January 2025. This effort places India ahead of China, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union, each of which has signed 11 agreements, though still behind the United States, which leads with 41 agreements. These deals focus on securing vital resources like lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, copper, and rare earth elements, which are essential for clean energy technologies such as electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and semiconductors.
India’s push for international partnerships is part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and enhance domestic capabilities in exploration, processing, manufacturing, and recycling. The National Critical Mineral Mission, approved in January 2025, is a key component of this strategy, with the government allocating Rs 16,300 crore and aiming to attract an additional Rs 18,000 crore in investment.
As part of the mission, India plans to conduct 1,200 domestic exploration projects and secure international mining assets. Notably, state-owned Khanij Bidesh India Ltd has collaborated with Argentina’s CAMYEN to explore five lithium blocks across 15,703 hectares. Additionally, India is exploring joint investment opportunities in lithium and cobalt with Australia and has expanded cooperation with Germany and Norway.
This surge in agreements reflects a global trend where countries are increasingly seeking to secure mineral supplies and develop domestic processing industries. However, transparency concerns persist, as 39 percent of critical minerals agreements analyzed lack publicly available texts, highlighting the need for more openness in these transactions.
The competition for critical minerals underscores the importance of India building robust domestic manufacturing capabilities. As global demand for clean energy technologies grows, developing sustainable supply chains, generating employment, and strengthening industrial capacity will be crucial to India’s strategy.