India and the United States on Tuesday announced a framework to cooperate in ensuring a steady supply of critical minerals amid concerns about China's export controls on rare earth elements.The framework, signed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Delhi, aims to deepen bilateral cooperation in supply chains of critical minerals and rare earths, including mining, processing, recycling and related investments.The agreement seeks to strengthen “resilient and diversified supply chains, while promoting collaboration in financing and effective management of critical minerals and rare earths scrap”, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.Jaishankar said that the agreement was “something very timely and critical”.“...it’s one more sign of how close our [bilateral] cooperation is and how important it is today in a world where there are so many challenges but also so many opportunities,” the external affairs minister added.Rubio said that the strategic partnership between India and the US is important for their national interests.“We are two countries that have strategic interests in ensuring reliable long-term access to critical minerals and supply chains that are important for our innovation economy...and today’s [signing is] tangible evidence of why we are strategic allies,” Rubio said.Since 2023, China has been increasing export controls on some critical minerals and rare earth elements. In April 2025, China imposed export controls on more specific heavy rare earth elements and expanded the list in October 2025.The minerals are essential for manufacturing advanced technology products and defence equipment.New Delhi said on Tuesday that India and the US had in a statement in February 2025 recognised the strategic importance of critical minerals for emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing. They had also recognised “secure and resilient” supply chains for critical minerals as a shared strategic priority of both countries, the external affairs ministry said on Tuesday.In February 2026, India became a signatory to the US-led Pax Silica initiative to coordinate supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.The signing ceremony on Tuesday was held on the sidelines of a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue that comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia.The Quad on Tuesday also announced initiatives to improve collaboration on critical minerals and emerging technology, and strengthen maritime security.The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework is meant to help the four countries coordinate investments to strengthen the supply chains of critical minerals.Written by Nachiket Deuskar. Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.