India in talks with Canada and France to secure critical minerals supply beyond China

India is in discussions with Brazil, Canada, France, and the Netherlands to jointly explore, extract, process, and recycle critical minerals, as it seeks to reduce dependence on China for key raw materials.

The talks are focused on lithium and rare earths, which are essential for India’s energy transition and growing industrial and infrastructure needs.

Sources said India is also looking to gain access to mineral processing technologies as part of these potential agreements. The discussions are confidential, and officials from the countries involved have not issued public confirmations.

India currently relies heavily on China, which dominates global supplies of several critical minerals and has advanced mining and processing capabilities.

Mining experts said that this dependence has added urgency to India’s efforts to diversify its sources as it accelerates plans to cut emissions. However, experts cautioned that turning mineral discoveries into production can take years, with exploration alone often lasting five to seven years and not always resulting in commercially viable mines.

India is aiming to replicate parts of a critical minerals agreement it signed with Germany in January. That pact covers exploration, processing, and recycling, as well as the acquisition and development of mineral assets in both countries and in third countries.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit India in early March and may sign agreements related to uranium, energy, minerals, and artificial intelligence, according to the report.

India has already signed critical minerals pacts with Argentina, Australia, and Japan, and is holding talks with Peru and Chile. In 2023, India identified more than 20 minerals, including lithium, as critical to its energy transition.