On May 26, India and the United States formally signed a framework agreement on strategic minerals and rare earths, covering both mining and processing. The deal was finalized by Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New Delhi, during Rubio’s four-day visit to India.
Strategic minerals are non-fuel minerals used to produce batteries, watches, wiring, military equipment, semiconductors, and many other technology products. The US considers them “essential to economic or national security” with “supply chains vulnerable to disruption.” The most common strategic minerals include nickel, cobalt, lithium, aluminum, and zinc.
Notably, the US is entirely reliant on imports for 12 strategic minerals and imports at least half of its needs for 29 others. Meanwhile, China controls the vast majority of global rare earth supply, holding 60% of reserves and processing 90% of global output.
The US-India deal aims to strengthen cooperation across the entire supply chain of strategic minerals and rare earths, from mining, processing, and recycling to related investments. The US Embassy in India stated: “Through this framework, the United States and India will engage in international efforts to protect sensitive supply chains from coercive market practices and reduce vulnerability to sole-source monopolies.”
For India, the country holds monazite reserves (a mineral containing rare-earth oxides) of approximately 13.15 million tons, equivalent to 7.23 million tons of rare-earth oxides. However, India currently produces only four strategic minerals: copper, graphite, phosphorus, and titanium. In its fiscal 2026–2027 budget, the Indian government announced plans to create a “rare earth corridor” in the states of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Also on May 26, the Quad nations (the US, Japan, Australia, and India) unveiled a separate strategic minerals initiative. Under the plan, governments and private companies in the group aim to mobilize up to $20 billion through loans, guarantees, grants, and long-term purchase contracts to invest in mining, processing, and recycling projects. The countries also agreed to share information on licensing procedures and cooperate on mineral recycling.
Previously, the US had signed 11 strategic minerals frameworks with Argentina, the Cook Islands, Ecuador, Guinea, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, the UAE, the UK, and Uzbekistan. In December 2025, the US announced a $1.25 billion investment in strategic mineral mining at Reko Diq in Pakistan, and in April 2026, pledged up to $50 million for the Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project in South Africa.
