External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar to travel to US next week

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is set to travel to Washington DC next week for a high-level meeting on critical minerals. The visit, scheduled for early February, will see the External Affairs Minister attend the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 4 February at the State Department.

The gathering aims to bring together partners from across the globe to strengthen cooperation on securing reliable and resilient supply chains for critical minerals, essential materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements that underpin technologies from electric vehicles to defence systems and renewable energy infrastructure.

The ministerial is being described as a key step towards enhancing international collaboration to bolster economic and national security, technological leadership, and a resilient energy future. It comes against the backdrop of ongoing efforts to reduce global dependence on dominant suppliers, particularly China, which controls much of the processing and refining of these resources.

The trip also coincides with India's anticipated formal joining to Pax Silica, a US-led geopolitical and economic initiative focused on building a secure, resilient, and innovation-driven silicon supply chain. Encompassing critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and related logistics, the alliance seeks to promote stability and long-term prosperity among "trusted" partners while reducing coercive dependencies in strategic technologies.

Announced in late 2025, Pax Silica initially included nations such as Japan, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, the UK, Israel, and the UAE. India was invited in January 2026 by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, shortly after his arrival in New Delhi. Development aligns with New Delhi's push for self-reliance in electronics manufacturing and clean energy transitions.