India-US Ties: New Delhi Joins Crucial Mineral Supply Talks in Washington; underlines the need for resilient procurement – The Times of India

India on Monday participated in the Treasury Ministerial meeting on securing supply chains for critical minerals hosted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington. Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw represented the country at the high-level meeting. New Delhi underlined its strong commitment to building secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains.

The meeting focused on ways to diversify and secure the supply of key minerals, including rare earths.Vaishnaw said strengthening such supply chains is essential for India’s manufacturing growth and its fast-growing electronics sector. “Participated in the Ministerial Meeting on Critical Minerals hosted by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Strengthening critical mineral supply chains is critical to increasing the resilience of India’s manufacturing capabilities and fast-growing electronics sector,” Vaishnaw wrote in a post on X after the meeting. The minister arrived in Washington DC on Sunday and described secure access to critical minerals as crucial to achieving India’s long-term development vision of Viksit Bharat, ANI reported. The Indian Embassy in Washington DC said Vaishnaw highlighted India’s “firm commitment to strengthening and securing critical mineral supply chains”, calling them essential for economic prosperity and resilient manufacturing.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said participants shared a strong desire to address vulnerabilities in critical mineral supply chains. He added that countries should focus on “prudently reducing risks rather than decoupling” and take decisive steps to close existing gaps. The US Treasury Department has noted that supply chains for critical minerals have become highly concentrated and vulnerable to disruption and manipulation, and has urged countries to work together on sustainable solutions.The meeting was attended by finance ministers and senior officials from several major economies, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the European Union and the United Kingdom. SSenior representatives from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Export-Import Bank of the United States and JPMorgan also gave presentations on key focus areas.During his visit to the US, Vaishnaw also met Michael Kratsios, aide to President Donald Trump and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, along with Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra. The discussion focused on preparations for the upcoming India-AI Impact Summit.India will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi from February 19 to 20, focusing on the principles of ‘People, Planet and Progress’. The summit was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the French AI Action Summit. It will be the first global AI summit to be organized in the South.