India is currently in talks with Brazil, Canada, France, and the Netherlands to sign agreements for jointly exploring, extracting, processing, and recycling critical minerals, according to sources. The discussions are part of India’s broader global outreach to secure important raw materials needed for its energy transition and industrial growth.

The main focus of these potential partnerships is expected to be lithium and rare earth minerals. Sources said India is also aiming to gain access to mineral-processing technologies through these agreements. The sources did not want to be identified, as the talks are confidential in nature.

India’s increasing engagement with multiple countries comes at a time when its heavy dependence on China for several critical minerals remains a major concern. China currently dominates global supplies of many key minerals and also has advanced mining and processing technologies. Experts in the mining sector have said that this reliance is pushing India to widen its network of international partners, especially as the country moves faster towards reducing emissions through clean energy initiatives.

However, mining experts also pointed out that the process of moving from discovery to production can take several years. The timeline is long because exploration itself can take five to seven years, and in many cases, exploration does not result in a successful or viable mine.

According to one source, India is looking to replicate key parts of the critical minerals agreement it signed with Germany in January. That agreement includes cooperation in exploration, processing, and recycling, and also covers the acquisition and development of mineral assets in both countries as well as in third countries.

“There are requests and we are talking to France, Netherlands and Brazil while the agreement with Canada is under active consideration,” the source said.

The effort is being led by India’s Ministry of Mines, the sources said.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is likely to visit India in early March. During the visit, deals are expected to be signed on uranium, energy, minerals, and artificial intelligence. When asked for comments on the matter, Canada’s Natural Resources Department referred to a January statement, which said that both sides had agreed to formalise cooperation on critical minerals in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Reuters sought comments from various parties involved. Brazil’s embassy in New Delhi, India’s Ministry of Mines, and India’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The embassy of the Netherlands also did not comment, while the embassy of France declined to comment.

India has been actively scouting for critical minerals across the world. In recent years, it has already signed agreements with Argentina, Australia, and Japan. It is also holding talks with Peru and Chile for broader bilateral agreements that would include critical minerals as well.

India’s rising international engagement is happening at a time when global economies are also working to reduce dependence on China for rare earth supplies. Finance ministers from the G7 and other major economies met in Washington last month to discuss methods to reduce reliance on rare earth minerals sourced from China.

In 2023, India officially identified more than 20 minerals as “critical” for its energy transition. These include lithium, which is important for battery production and is expected to play a key role in meeting increasing demand from industry and the infrastructure sector.

The discussions with Brazil, Canada, France, and the Netherlands reflect India’s continued efforts to secure stable and diversified supplies of these important resources, while also building long-term partnerships for technology and mineral development.