{"id":"f-86c21c4f86-5f09bde1-ceda-5f4b-9ab0-676ad1073a8a","title":"India at G7 critical mineral meet: Vaishnaw says boosting supply chains key to economic resilience","description":"India has joined high-level discussions in Washington on critical minerals, signalling closer coordination with the US and G7 economies as they look to reduce dependence on China-dominated supply chains.","timestamp":1768310922,"category":"national_v_two","headline":"India at G7 critical mineral meet: Vaishnaw says boosting supply chains key to economic resilience","modifiedHeadline":"India: Minerals vital for economic strength","subCategories":["scid_2c0dc4ac"],"region":"IN","bundleMetaData":{"bundleId":"7b48871c-c993-4956-b43d-6f46f8e1b036","bundleTitle":"Today In India","cardData":null},"iabCategoryId":"77","fcSummary":"India is engaging with the US and G7 to diversify critical mineral supply chains, lessening reliance on China. Minister Vaishnaw is in Washington for a ministerial meeting on this issue. This collaboration extends beyond the Quad, including initiatives like Pax Silica.","summary":"India joins G7 critical mineral meet in Washington, signaling closer ties with US & G7 to cut reliance on China-led supply chains.","ctaUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/news/IN/en/firstpost/f-86c21c4f86-5f09bde1-ceda-5f4b-9ab0-676ad1073a8a","sourceUrl":"https://www.firstpost.com/world/india-at-g7-critical-mineral-meet-vaishnaw-says-boosting-supply-chains-key-to-economic-resilience-13968234.html","bannerImage":"https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/IqwgSmkRS5A0.webp","content":"As China continues to maintain a dominant grip over critical minerals, India has entered high-level discussions in Washington, signalling closer alignment with the US and G7 economies as they seek to reduce dependence on China-led supply chains.\n\n
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\n Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw arrived in Washington DC on Sunday to attend a critical minerals ministerial meeting hosted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The meeting is being held on the sidelines of a gathering of G7 finance ministers — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US — along with the European Union. India and Australia have also been invited.\n
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Arrived in Washington, D.C.
\n Will participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial Meeting tomorrow.
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\n Secure critical mineral supply chains are vital for our goal of Viksit Bharat. pic.twitter.com/grXbs7HA6S\n
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\n — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 11, 2026\n

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\n “Arrived in Washington, DC. Will participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial Meeting tomorrow. Secure critical mineral supply chains are vital for our goal of Viksit Bharat,” Vaishnaw said in a social media post.\n\n
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G7 push to widen coordination

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\n Bessent said on Saturday that India, Australia and several other countries would join the discussions, underscoring Washington’s push to expand coordination beyond advanced economies. He added that he had been advocating for a dedicated G7 dialogue on critical minerals since last summer’s leaders’ summit, citing what he described as China’s weaponisation of supply chains.\n
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\n G7 finance ministers had already held a virtual meeting on the issue in December, he said.\n
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China’s grip on refining

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\n According to the International Energy Agency, China dominates global refining of most major critical minerals — including copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements — with an average market share of around 70 percent. The agency has also flagged China’s control over downstream components such as manganese sulphate and phosphoric acid, key inputs for batteries and advanced manufacturing.\n\n
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\n This concentration has emerged as a strategic vulnerability for Western economies, particularly as demand for critical minerals accelerates due to the energy transition and the rapid expansion of AI-led data centres.\n
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India’s role beyond the Quad

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\n India is also set to join the US-led Pax Silica initiative ahead of an artificial intelligence summit to be hosted by New Delhi. Although India is a Quad partner, it was not initially included in Pax Silica, which currently includes the US, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, Israel, the UAE and Australia.\n\n
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\n India will also participate in another US meeting on critical minerals ahead of the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit scheduled in New Delhi on February 19–20, according to Economic Times.\n
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US has a Pakistan angle

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\n Separately, the US maintains a distinct engagement with Pakistan on critical minerals, an initiative that has contributed to closer political ties between Washington and Islamabad.","readDurationInMinutes":"5","author":{"name":"Firstpost","logo":"https://glance-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/bubble/png/28d65284-7c7e-4e74-a1da-84b4daef1e4c.jpeg"},"ism":false,"analyticsResponses":[{"measurementId":"DUMMy","type":"GA"}],"pointerSummary":["India, US align on critical minerals to cut China supply chain dominance. (85)","Vaishnaw attends US-hosted G7 ministerial meeting in Washington D.C. (86)","India joins Pax Silica amid AI push, expanding beyond Quad framework. (89)"],"tags":["India","G7","CriticalMinerals","SupplyChains","EconomicResilience","China","US","AshwiniVaishnaw","WashingtonDC","ScottBessent","ViksitBharat","InternationalEnergyAgency","PaxSilica","AISummit","Quad","Pakistan","USEngagement","RareEarthElements","EnergyTransition"],"consent":true,"redirectionEnabled":false}

India at G7 critical mineral meet: Vaishnaw says boosting supply chains key to economic resilience

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