India is in talks with Brazil, Canada, France, and the Netherlands. The goal is to jointly explore, extract, process, and recycle critical minerals.
According to a Reuters report, this helps India secure key raw materials by reaching out globally.
“The talks would target lithium and rare earths. India also wants access to mineral-processing technology, quotes Reuters.
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India relies heavily on China for many minerals. Beijing controls global supplies and has top mining and processing tech. Experts say this pushes India to partner with other countries. The country wants to speed up its shift to clean energy and cut emissions.
But mining takes time. Exploration alone lasts 5-7 years. Often, it fails to find a workable mine. The full process from discovery to production can take years.
India wants deals like its January pact with Germany. That one covers exploring, processing, and recycling minerals. It also includes buying and developing mineral assets in Germany, India, and other countries, according to the report.
With the recent developments in the National Critical Minerals Mission, post-January 2026 Budget, NCMM allocated extra funds for private explorers and tech imports. KABIL secured 5% stake in Argentina’s Navidad project; auctions awarded 30 blocks by Q1 2026.
India faces supply chain gaps, with domestic refining lagging far behind; for instance, only 1% of rare earths are processed locally. Geopolitics adds pressure, as the US Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives draw allies toward America.
Amid China’s dominance in supply chains and India’s heavy import reliance, recent moves include advanced critical minerals cooperation with the US, highlighted by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s February 2026 Washington visit, where he addressed a Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by Marco Rubio.
The meeting emphasized de-risking via the NCMM and FORGE initiative, welcomed a new trade deal for energy security, and backed structured global partnerships through the Quad.
The reports of negotiating deals with Brazil, Canada, France, and the Netherlands for lithium and rare earths access plus processing tech, to counter rising demand and geopolitical risks.
