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    COVER STORY                                                              JUNE 05, 2026     |  The Indian Eye                    4

                                                         QUAD MEETING

                                                   INDIA’S

             STRATEGIC MOVE

              The New Delhi meeting of the Quad underlined the grouping’s growing role in shaping Indo-Pacific

                geopolitics, even as structural and strategic challenges continue to test its long-term cohesion.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            ty participation, insurance, subsidies
                                                                                                                  and mobilization of private capital.
            New Delhi
                                                                                                                  Such tools indicate recognition that
                  he latest Quad meeting in                                                                       critical minerals projects are highly
                  New Delhi marked anoth-                                                                         capital-intensive  and often  vulnera-
            Ter  significant  moment  in  the                                                                     ble to market volatility and geopolit-
            evolution of one of the world’s most                                                                  ical risk.
            closely watched strategic groupings.                                                                      The emphasis on cooperation in
            What began as a loose consultation                                                                    permitting and regulatory process-
            mechanism among India, the  Unit-                                                                     es, geological mapping and resource
            ed States, Japan and Australia have                                                                   assessment also suggests the Quad is
            steadily transformed into a platform                                                                  attempting to address long-standing
            that increasingly addresses some of                                                                   bottlenecks in supply chain devel-
            the  most critical  geopolitical and                                                                  opment.  Equally  significant  was  the
            economic issues of the 21st century.                                                                  grouping’s commitment to coordi-
            The announcement of a Quad Crit-                                                                      nated measures against “non-market
            ical Minerals Initiative Framework,                                                                   policies and unfair trade practices” in
            alongside new energy security coor-                                                                   critical minerals markets. Though the
            dination mechanisms, demonstrated                                                                     statement avoided direct references,
            how the grouping is now moving be-                                                                    the language clearly reflected broad-
            yond rhetoric into concrete strategic                                                                 er concerns over concentrated global
            cooperation.                                                                                          control of processing capabilities and
                At the center of the New Delhi                                                                    strategic resource flows.
            deliberations was the recognition that                                                                    Another major dimension of the
            future geopolitical power will depend                                                                 New Delhi meeting was sustainabili-
            not  only  on  military  capability  but                                                              ty and recycling. The Quad countries
            also on control over technology sup-                                                                  proposed collaboration in recovering
            ply chains, strategic resources and en-  External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian   and recycling critical minerals from
            ergy resilience. The Quad countries                                                                   e-waste and scrap materials, includ-
            unveiled an ambitious framework to   Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong and Japan Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi during   ing investment in recycling technol-
            mobilize up to USD 20 billion in gov-  the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in New Delhi (@SenatorWong X/ANI Photo)  ogies and collection networks. This
            ernment and private-sector support                                                                    reflects an understanding that future
            for critical minerals supply chains  these supply chains increasingly   prioritizing projects located in Quad   resource security cannot rely solely
            covering mining, processing and re-  translates into geopolitical leverage.   countries, operated by companies   on extraction. Recycling and circular
            cycling.  The  initiative  reflects  grow-  By launching a coordinated initia-  headquartered in Quad nations, or   economic systems are becoming cen-
            ing anxiety among major democra-  tive, the Quad countries signalled   supplying Quad markets. This ap-  tral to long-term strategic planning.
            cies over global resource monopolies  that they view economic security as   proach  reflects  an  effort  to  reduce   The bilateral India-US agree-
            and vulnerabilities in advanced tech-  inseparable from national security.  strategic dependence on external   ment on “Securing of Supply in the
            nology manufacturing.                 The framework announced in    actors and create trusted networks   Mining and Processing of Critical
                Critical minerals have emerged  New Delhi aims to support secure   among like-minded democracies.  Minerals and Rare Earths” added
            as one of the defining strategic assets  supply chains for critical minerals   The proposed mechanisms for   another layer to the geopolitical sig-
            of the modern era. Minerals such as  used in advanced technologies and   implementation further reveal the se-  nificance  of  the  summit.  Signed  by
            lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth  industrial manufacturing amid in-  riousness of the initiative. The Quad   External Affairs Minister S Jaishan-
            elements are essential for semicon-  tensifying global competition over   countries plan to support strategic   kar and US Secretary of State Marco
            ductors, electric vehicles, batteries,  strategic resources. Importantly, the   minerals projects through export   Rubio, the agreement seeks coop-
            telecommunications systems and  initiative  seeks  to  create  what  offi-  credit agencies, development finance   eration across mining, processing,
            defense technologies. Control over  cials described as a “Quad nexus” by   institutions, guarantees, loans, equi-  Continued on next page... >>

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