India, UK launch observatory to track critical minerals supply chains

The joint platform will monitor global critical mineral supply chains, identify risks and support policymaking amid growing demand from clean energy and advanced manufacturing sectors

India and the United Kingdom on Thursday launched the India-UK Critical Minerals Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO), a joint initiative aimed at strengthening monitoring and analysis of global critical mineral supply chains amid growing concerns over resource security for clean energy and advanced manufacturing sectors.

 

The observatory was launched in New Delhi by Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. The platform has been developed jointly by TEXMiN at the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, and the University of Cambridge.

 

According to the Ministry of Mines, the observatory will serve as a data-driven platform for tracking global critical mineral supply chains, identifying supply risks and disruptions, generating market intelligence and supporting decision-making by policymakers, industry and researchers.

   

The launch comes as India steps up efforts to secure supplies of critical minerals needed for electric vehicles, battery storage systems, renewable energy equipment and advanced manufacturing. Under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), the government is pursuing domestic exploration, auctioning mineral blocks and supporting overseas asset acquisitions to reduce import dependence and strengthen supply-chain resilience.

 

The observatory also complements the India-UK Technology Security Initiative, under which the two countries are expanding cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, telecommunications and critical minerals.

 

Addressing the event, Reddy said the observatory would strengthen India's capabilities in critical mineral supply-chain intelligence, support evidence-based policymaking and contribute to the objectives of the NCMM.

 

Cooper said that greater access to critical minerals and improved information-sharing are in the mutual interest of both nations and can contribute significantly to economic growth and supply-chain security. She added that the partnership has the potential to serve as a foundation for broader cooperation across the critical minerals sector and related strategic industries.

 

The initiative was first announced during a bilateral engagement between the prime ministers of India and the United Kingdom in October 2025 and was subsequently formalised through a research collaboration agreement signed in March 2026.