India and the US often describe each other as natural partners. In reality, collaboration between them usually fails to meet expectations. That seems likely to be the case with their new pact on critical minerals unless both sides focus on what exactly each can bring to the relationship.
In a recently signed memorandum, the two countries agreed only to find avenues for “mutually beneficial commercial development” of the critical minerals supply chain. The language did not go as far as deals the US has struck with Japan and South Korea, which extended federal electric-vehicle subsidies to cars with battery components in which value has been added in the two US allies.
This is short-sighted. China’s dominance of the critical-minerals supply chain is so extensive and dangerous that the US needs all the friends it can get. And India should be able to fill a crucial gap in those chains.
Read more at Bloomberg.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
