India Joins Pax Silica Alliance: Geopolitical Shift in Critical Minerals Strategy

• India's critical minerals push gains geopolitical significance with an invitation to join the US-led Pax Silica alliance.
• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw attended a US Treasury meeting, emphasizing the need for resilient supply chains for minerals like lithium and rare earths.
• Pax Silica aims to reduce dependence on China-dominated supply chains for technology and critical minerals, crucial for semiconductors, EVs, and clean energy.
• India, a major rare earth producer (Monazite), faces challenges in increasing production due to mining and environmental clearances.
• Membership in Pax Silica could offer India access to alternative suppliers (Australia) and refining technologies (Japan), but may also bring compliance challenges and foreign policy complexities.

Why It Matters: India's entry into Pax Silica marks a strategic move to diversify critical mineral supply chains and boost domestic processing.