New Delhi— External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar departed on Monday for a three-day diplomatic mission to the United States, where he will participate in a Washington-hosted ministerial on critical minerals supply chains.
The visit, running from February 2 to 4, 2026, carries significant weight as India and the US work to mend frayed bilateral relations strained by recent tariff disputes and trade disagreements.
Key Facts
• Jaishankar is attending the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, focusing on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in critical minerals.
• India is expected to join Pax Silica, the US flagship initiative to build a secure global supply chain for semiconductors and AI technology, during bilateral meetings.
• The visit aims to address months of trade tensions, including the 50 percent tariffs imposed on Indian goods by the Trump administration, including a 25 percent penalty for Russian energy purchases.
Jaishankar touched down in Washington on Monday to participate in one of the year's most strategically significant ministerial meetings on critical minerals. The gathering will bring together representatives from G7 nations like the UK, Japan, Germany, and Italy, alongside mineral-rich countries including Congo, Guinea, and Kenya.
This ministerial represents the second major US-convened meeting this year on critical minerals, following January's G7 finance ministers conference where India was represented by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. That earlier summit reached agreements on reducing global dependency on China for rare earth minerals, a critical priority for American economic and national security.
The timing of Jaishankar's visit is particularly significant given the sharp downturn in India-US relations over the past six months. Trade tensions escalated when President Donald Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, including an additional 25 percent penalty over India's continued purchase of Russian crude oil.
These measures have created unprecedented strain in a relationship that previously remained robust for two decades.
Beyond the critical minerals discussion, Jaishankar will hold bilateral meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior Trump administration officials. These discussions are expected to cover bilateral trade negotiations, regional security concerns, and global issues of mutual interest.
Indian officials have indicated that both sides have made "very significant" progress on a bilateral trade agreement, though negotiations have stalled over contentious issues.
India's farm and dairy sectors remain what New Delhi terms "red lines" in trade negotiations—areas where India refuses to make concessions.
Meanwhile, the US has pushed for market access in these sectors, creating a fundamental deadlock. Officials remain hopeful "a positive outcome" may yet emerge from ongoing discussions through diplomatic channels.
The visit unfolds against a backdrop of other India-US tensions, including Trump's controversial claims about mediating the India-Pakistan conflict last May and recent US immigration policy changes affecting Indian nationals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not met Trump in person since February 2025, though the two leaders have maintained phone contact throughout the year.
Pax Silica represents a promising avenue for deepening India-US cooperation. This US initiative aims to create secure, resilient semiconductor and advanced technology supply chains outside China's sphere of influence.
Countries including Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, UAE, and Qatar have already signed up, making India's participation a natural extension of deepening strategic ties.
the Ministry of External Affairs stated, signaling the broad scope of discussions planned.
Jaishankar's visit signals New Delhi's commitment to stabilizing the relationship despite current tensions. While trade negotiations remain gridlocked, cooperation on critical minerals and advanced technologies offers common ground.
The coming days will reveal whether India and the US can chart a path toward reducing tariff-related strain and advancing shared strategic interests in countering Beijing's technological and economic dominance.
Do You Know?
The US convened its first critical minerals ministerial earlier this year, with India's participation marking the nation's growing importance in global supply chain resilience efforts. This second ministerial within months underscores how urgently Washington views semiconductor and rare earth mineral supply chain security.
Key Terms
• Critical Minerals: Elements essential for manufacturing electronics, renewable energy systems, and defense technologies, with many supplies concentrated in China or politically unstable regions.
• Pax Silica: A US-led initiative to build resilient global semiconductor and advanced technology supply chains, reducing dependence on single suppliers or nations perceived as strategic competitors.
• Supply Chain Resilience: The ability of production and distribution networks to withstand disruptions and maintain function amid geopolitical or economic shocks.
• Tariffs: Taxes imposed on imported goods; the US has levied 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods and 25 percent additional penalties related to Russian energy purchases.
• Bilateral Trade Agreement: A formal trade deal negotiated between two nations to reduce barriers, establish terms of commerce, and increase two-way trade flows.
Image from Wikimedia Commons