New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday began a three-day visit to the United States to attend a key ministerial meeting on critical minerals, with the trip being closely watched for signs of easing tensions in India-US relations strained by the tariff policies of the Trump administration.
Jaishankar will participate in the ministerial meeting on critical minerals convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on February 4. During the visit, he is also scheduled to hold talks with senior members of the US administration, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
The ministerial meeting will focus on strengthening supply chain resilience, advancing clean energy transitions and enhancing strategic cooperation in critical minerals. People familiar with the discussions said India is also expected to join Pax Silica, a flagship US initiative aimed at building a secure global supply chain for semiconductors and artificial intelligence technologies.
Representatives from G7 nations, including the UK, Japan, Germany and Italy, along with mineral-rich countries such as Congo, Guinea and Kenya, are participating in the meeting to deepen multilateral cooperation and boost investments in alternative supply chains for rare earth minerals.
This is the second critical minerals meeting convened by the US this year. In January, a meeting of finance ministers from G7 countries and partner nations, convened by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, reached an agreement to intensify efforts to reduce reliance on China for rare earth supplies. India was represented at that meeting by Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The US State Department has described the strengthening of critical mineral supply chains with partners as vital to America’s economic and national security.
Jaishankar’s visit comes amid months of strain in bilateral ties, largely stemming from the Trump administration’s trade policies. The US has imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods, including a 25% punitive levy linked to India’s purchases of Russian energy. President Donald Trump has also repeatedly claimed credit for ending an India-Pakistan conflict last year and has publicly criticised India on several issues, further complicating relations.
Ahead of the visit, Jaishankar met US ambassador Sergio, a close aide of Trump, and also held a phone conversation with Secretary of State Rubio. Both engagements focused on trade, security cooperation and critical minerals. Indian officials have indicated that “very significant” progress has been made in negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement and that New Delhi remains hopeful of a positive outcome.
India and the US held multiple rounds of talks on a proposed trade deal last year, but negotiations stalled after the imposition of steep tariffs by Washington and US demands for India to open its farm and dairy sectors. New Delhi has maintained that agriculture and dairy remain red lines in all trade negotiations.
