New Delhi: France and India have formally launched their first Joint Working Group (JWG) on Critical Minerals here, co-chaired by Benjamin Gallezot and Kadam Sandeep Vasant, marking a major step in building resilient supply chains for rare earths and strategic minerals. This initiative directly supports both nations’ ambitions in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and technological sovereignty.
France’s Inter-Ministerial Delegate for Strategic Minerals and Metals Supplies, Benjamin Gallezot, visited New Delhi on July 6-7, accompanied by Olivier Frezot, Regional Director for Asia at the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM), the French Geological Survey.
On July 6, Gallezot co-chaired the inaugural India–France Joint Working Group on Critical Minerals with Kadam Sandeep Vasant, Joint Secretary of the National Critical Mineral Mission under India’s Ministry of Mines. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in exploration, processing, and recycling of critical minerals and rare earth elements, with the aim of building resilient and sustainable supply chains.
The exchanges enabled both nations to identify shared interests and outline collaborative projects in France, India, and other strategic countries. BRGM and the Geological Survey of India, which already share a long-standing partnership, participated actively and identified new avenues for joint work to enhance knowledge across the entire critical minerals value chain.
During his visit, Gallezot also met Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor and engaged in an interaction with representatives of Indian companies from diverse economic sectors. This meeting was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and provided a platform to explore industrial cooperation opportunities.
The visit builds upon the France–India Joint Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in Critical Minerals, signed during President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India in February 2026. This declaration provides a framework for closer cooperation in exploration, mining, research and innovation, diversification of value chains, supply chain resilience, and circularity.
The French Interministerial Delegation for the Supply of Strategic Minerals and Metals, established on December 10, 2022, coordinates the French government’s efforts to secure strategic mineral and metal supplies. It works across ministries to strengthen supply chain resilience and support France’s industrial, energy, and strategic priorities.
Reflecting on the meeting, the French Embassy in India posted on X that Benjamin Gallezot co-chaired the first India–France Critical Minerals Joint Working Group, with the agenda focused on cooperation in exploring, processing, and recycling critical minerals and rare earths to ensure resilient and sustainable supply chains.
Earlier this year, Indian Ambassador to France Sanjeev Kumar Singla announced a letter of intent to establish a centre on advanced materials between India’s Department of Science and Technology and the French institution CNRS, one of the world’s largest scientific organisations specialising in basic research. He also highlighted the creation of a joint advanced technology development group and the signing of an amendment to the double tax avoidance agreement between the two countries.
According to the joint statement issued by India and France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron agreed to deepen cooperation in exploration, extraction, processing, and recycling technologies of critical minerals and rare earths. Their objective is to create diversified, sustainable, responsible, and resilient supply chains. Both leaders recognised the pivotal role of critical minerals in supporting the green and digital economy, emerging technologies, and advanced manufacturing.
Both sides welcomed the Joint Declaration of Intent on cooperation in the field of critical minerals, reaffirming their commitment to advancing collaboration in this strategically vital domain.
