Piyush Goyal said India is working with the US, UK and Europe to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and increase domestic processing.
India is working with the United States, the United Kingdom and European partners to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and develop processing capabilities for domestic requirements, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on September 2.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 66th Annual Session of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India in New Delhi, Goyal said India was discussing collaborations and partnerships with several countries to increase the processing and development of critical minerals.
The discussions come as India seeks more resilient supply chains for minerals that are important to industries such as electric vehicles, batteries, electronics, semiconductors and clean energy.
“We are talking to some countries with whom we will be having collaborations and partnerships to promote critical minerals being processed and developed for our requirements, with the US also,” Goyal said, according to ANI.
India Engages US, UK and Europe on Supply Chains
Goyal said India is a member of the Critical Minerals Partnership and is actively participating in the Pax Silica grouping. He also said New Delhi is in dialogue with partners in the UK and Europe on building more resilient supply chains.
“We are a member of the Critical Minerals Partnership, we are active in the Pax Silica grouping that they have created, with several of our partners in UK and Europe we are in dialogue about how we can build more resilient supply chains,” he said.
The Indian government has previously confirmed that the country joined the Pax Silica initiative in February 2026. India became a signatory to the Pax Silica Declaration on February 20, alongside a joint statement with the US on an AI Opportunity Partnership.
At the ACMA event, Goyal said the US and India were working together through the critical mineral partnership. He also described Pax Silica as an initiative intended to bring like-minded countries together to reduce the risk of trade being weaponised by any single geography.
Why Critical Minerals Matter for India
Critical minerals are becoming increasingly important to India’s industrial and technology ambitions. They are used across electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy equipment, electronics and advanced manufacturing.
For the automotive industry in particular, reliable access to these materials is closely linked to the development of electric mobility and other high-value components. Strengthening supplies and building domestic processing capacity can therefore help reduce vulnerabilities in India’s manufacturing supply chains.
Goyal linked the critical-minerals push to the government’s broader efforts to make domestic industry more resilient. He also highlighted support for sectors such as semiconductors and technical textiles, saying these initiatives were intended to strengthen supply chains for India’s auto-component industry.
Goyal Defends India’s 7.8% GDP Growth.
Goyal also used the ACMA gathering to defend India’s recent economic performance amid global uncertainty.
“The naysayers can say what they want, but 7.8% growth is a reality,” he said.
India recorded real GDP growth of 7.8% in the first quarter of 2026-27, according to government data released on September 1. The government said manufacturing and services supported growth, while real gross value added increased 8.2%.
Goyal said India had remained the fastest-growing among the world’s large economies despite geopolitical and economic disruptions. He also pointed to strong demand in sectors including automobiles, steel and manufacturing.
Focus on Global Trade and Auto Components
The remarks on critical minerals came as Goyal urged India’s auto-component industry to expand internationally and strengthen its presence in developed markets.
According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s auto-component industry’s international trade is close to $50 billion, with imports and exports broadly divided. Goyal called on manufacturers to expand their global footprint, move up the value chain and improve supply-chain resilience.
He also said India had secured market access to economies representing a combined GDP of around $60 trillion through nine trade agreements concluded over the past four to five years.
The government is simultaneously developing industrial parks and manufacturing infrastructure aimed at attracting more global investment. Goyal suggested that dedicated parks could potentially be created for US-India partnerships and for the auto-component industry.
Piyush Goyal to Travel to US for G20 Talks
The critical-minerals discussions also come as India and the US continue to deepen wider economic engagement.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said Goyal is expected to travel to the United States later in September for the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting. Gor said the two countries were also working towards a trade understanding and highlighted the broader expansion of cooperation between India and the US.
For India, securing reliable access to critical minerals is increasingly tied to its ambitions in electric mobility, advanced manufacturing and clean-energy technologies. The latest discussions with the US, UK and European partners indicate that the government is looking beyond domestic extraction to international partnerships, processing capabilities and diversified supply chains.
