After Pax Silica, Govt Likely To Partner With Germany, Canada To Secure Critical Minerals Supply Chain

The government is planning to partner with Germany and Canada to ensure supply chain resilience for sourcing critical minerals vital for new-age technologies and defence capabilities.

The Union Cabinet may approve a joint declaration of intent with Germany for cooperation in the critical minerals sector, according to a report by Press Trust of India. The government is also expected to give its nod to a similar agreement with Canada, the agency quoted sources as saying.

Both approvals are expected to be granted on Tuesday at a Cabinet meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the report, the move will strengthen India’s strategic partnerships as countries around the world rush to secure resources vital for the clean energy transition and advanced technologies.

The collaboration with Germany will focus on joint exploration, sustainable mining, supply chain resilience, and technology transfer, sources told PTI.

This comes after India recently joined the United States-led grouping called Pax Silica during the AI Impact Summit last week. The group has a similar mandate of developing reliable alternatives to China’s hegemony in the critical minerals supply chain, including rare earth elements.

“Pax Silica is envisioned as a strategic coalition of trusted nations committed to securing the ‘silicon stack’, from critical minerals and semiconductor fabrication to advanced AI systems and deployment infrastructure,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had said in a statement after joining the bloc.

“The initiative seeks to reduce overconcentration in global supply chains, prevent economic coercion, and ensure that emerging technologies are developed and governed by open, democratic societies,” the ministry had said.

On the very next day of joining Pax Silica, the government signed an agreement with Brazil to collaborate on critical mineral and rare earth supplies. The deal was signed during the state visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to India.

India has significantly stepped up its efforts to partner with friendly countries to find alternatives to dependence on China for materials that are vital for the country’s technological sovereignty.