New Delhi, May 26 -- India and the US on Tuesday signed a framework to mine and refine critical minerals and rare earths, even as the Quad-an alliance of the US, Japan, Australia, and India-decided to support the development of critical mineral supply chains.

The development follows last year's disruption of global supply chains after China blocked exports of rare earth magnets in April 2025. The India-US framework aims to secure mining, processing, and scrapping of critical minerals and rare earths.

The framework will also promote collaboration in financing and processing of critical minerals and rare earth scrap. Meanwhile, the Quad, through its critical minerals initiative announced in July 2025, aims to mobilize investments worth $2...