India flags challenges of excessive concentration of critical minerals

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday underlined the challenges of "excessive concentration" of critical minerals and the importance of de-risking supply chains through structured international cooperation.  Addressing the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC, Jaishankar also conveyed India's support to the FORGE initiative on critical minerals. "Spoke at the Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington DC today. Underlined challenges of excessive concentration and the importance of de-risking supply chains through structured international cooperation," the minister said in a post on X.
In his address, he also highlighted India's efforts towards greater resilience through initiatives including the National Critical Minerals Mission, Rare Earth Corridors and responsible commerce.Jaishankar's remarks come as India's engagement in the US-led critical minerals dialogue marks a decisive shift from strategic intent to industrial execution. The announcement of dedicated rare earth corridors in India's 2026 Budget is a particularly important signal, as it reflects a move beyond resource security toward building domestic processing, separation, magnet manufacturing, and downstream capabilities.
Before the start of the ministerial, Jaishankar met with several global counterparts, including Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Singapore's Vivian Balakrishnan. He also interacted with his counterparts from the Netherlands, Italy, Malaysia, Bahrain, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Israel and Uzbekistan.