External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday underlined the challenges arising from the excessive concentration of critical minerals and stressed the need to de-risk global supply chains through structured international cooperation. He made the remarks while addressing the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC.

In his address, Jaishankar highlighted India’s efforts to build resilience in the critical minerals sector through initiatives such as the National Critical Minerals Mission, the development of Rare Earth Corridors, and the promotion of responsible commerce. He also conveyed India’s support for the FORGE initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation in critical minerals.

Ahead of the ministerial, Jaishankar held bilateral interactions with several global leaders, including Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. He also met counterparts from the Netherlands, Italy, Malaysia, Bahrain, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Israel, and Uzbekistan, reflecting India’s growing engagement on critical mineral supply chains.