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At a time when India and the United States are stepping up the bilateral engagement on critical minerals, a top American official has visited India to operationalise cooperation between the two countries in advancing research in this sector. Dr Tom Lograsso, director of the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, visited Mumbai and Pune during February 24-28 to strengthen research and development (R&D) linkages between India and the US.
The visit comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Washington on February 13, where India and US launched the Transforming Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology (TRUST) initiative, which aims to focus on the recovery and processing of critical minerals, including lithium and rare earth elements (REEs).
In addition to the TRUST initiative, the visit also operationalised the Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology (COMPACT) initiative, also launched during PM Modi’s visit to the US.
“Dr Lograsso’s visit outlined a clear roadmap for future cooperation, which includes launching a bidirectional student exchange programme and a lab-to-lab agreement between Iowa State University, the Ames National Laboratory’s Critical Materials Innovation Hub and Indian institutions,” a press release by the US Consulate General Mumbai said.
“The visit also included high-level discussions with executives from some of India’s leading conglomerates, establishing partnerships to develop and license technologies for more efficient production of critical mineral supply chains to boost prosperity and security,” the release added.
The TRUST initiative followed India’s induction into the US-led Minerals Security Finance Network in September last year. India joined the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) in 2023.
Unlike previous multilateral partnerships, however, the TRUST initiative will build on bilateral engagement. It also positions India and the US to accelerate existing efforts, and counter China’s dominance in critical minerals supply chains.
The emphasis of the TRUST initiative on reducing barriers to technology transfer, addressing export controls, and enhancing high-tech commerce lays the groundwork for deeper coordination between India and the US in the critical minerals space.
The India-US collaboration in critical minerals and advanced materials comes after the two countries announced major national programmes over the past few years to boost this sector – from exploration and recycling to research and development (R&D) in processing technologies. In 2020, the US Energy Act authorised $675 million for the Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM) programme to diversify and expand supply chains and build a circular economy.
The US also launched the Battery and Critical Mineral Recycling programme in 2024, with grants worth $125 million for R&D to increase the reuse and recycling of batteries.
And in January, India approved the National Critical Minerals Mission with a budgetary outlay of Rs 16,300 crore over seven years, of which roughly Rs 7,000 crore is allocated for exploration of critical minerals.
