Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal said India is in talks with a number of countries to enhance collaboration and partnerships for the processing and development of critical minerals to meet domestic requirements. He said the government plans to pursue free trade agreements to improve access to minerals deemed essential for resilient supply chains in strategic sectors. The minister indicated that these discussions form part of a broader effort to secure raw materials necessary for advanced manufacturing. He noted that India is a member of the United States (US)-led strategic initiative Pax Silica, launched in December 2025, which seeks to secure global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence infrastructure and critical minerals. The initiative brings together like-minded democracies to diversify sources and strengthen processing capacity outside a single geography. Goyal said the alliance is intended to reduce the risk that any one producer could disrupt markets or weaponise trade. The minister underlined that critical minerals include lithium, cobalt and nickel used in batteries; rare earth elements required for magnets in electric vehicles and wind turbines; and elements such as gallium and germanium important for semiconductors and advanced technologies. He emphasised that production and processing of several of these minerals remain concentrated in a small number of countries, with China a dominant player in many value chains. That concentration, he said, creates supply vulnerabilities for manufacturers and tech sectors across the world. Securing reliable access to these inputs is therefore central to India's strategy to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities, support domestic manufacturing and accelerate the clean energy transition. Goyal said the government is in dialogue with partners in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe about building resilient supply chains and intends to use trade pacts to widen access. Addressing the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association annual session, he added that the US and India are collaborating on critical mineral partnership efforts to ensure fair trade practices among democratic partners.