New Delhi, April 22 -- In response to US President Donald Trump's tariff war on China, Beijing recently restricted Chinese exports of rare earth minerals like yttrium, dysprosium and terbium, critical minerals used in a wide range of modern-day electronic equipment. This has led to new pressures on the White House, particularly from the US defence, automotive and energy industries, each of which are impacted severely.

The escalation presents an opportunity for India to reassess its critical minerals strategy, which primarily relies on nudging the private sector to invest in unproven reserves and on strategic public sector acquisitions of mines elsewhere in the developing world.

In February 2023, the Geological Survey of India estimated ...