India, UK launch critical minerals supply chain observatory
The initiative, announced in 2025 and formalised in 2026, will provide data-driven intelligence to monitor risks, disruptions and market trends.
G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Coal and Mines, India and Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, United Kingdom
India and the United Kingdom have launched the India–UK Critical Minerals Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO), a joint initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on critical minerals and improving supply chain resilience.
The Observatory was formally launched in New Delhi by Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. The initiative marks a significant step in the growing India–UK partnership on critical minerals and supply chains that support clean energy, advanced manufacturing, electric mobility and emerging technologies.
The launch event was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Mines, Ministry of External Affairs, the High Commission of India in the United Kingdom, the UK Government and the British High Commission in India. Representatives from TEXMiN, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, the University of Cambridge, industry, academia and research institutions from both countries were also present.
Speaking at the event, Kishan Reddy said critical minerals are essential for modern economies and play a key role in clean energy technologies, advanced manufacturing, electric mobility and strategic sectors. He said the Observatory would strengthen India's capabilities in critical mineral supply chain intelligence, support evidence-based policymaking and contribute to the goals of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM).
He added that the initiative reflects India's commitment to building resilient and diversified critical mineral value chains while strengthening international cooperation with trusted partners.
Yvette Cooper highlighted the importance of India–UK collaboration in developing resilient, diversified and sustainable critical mineral supply chains. She said greater access to critical minerals and improved information-sharing would benefit both countries and support economic growth and supply chain security.
She added that the partnership could provide a foundation for wider cooperation across the critical minerals sector and related strategic industries.
The Observatory is a joint initiative of TEXMiN (TTRP, DST, GoI), the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad and the University of Cambridge. It is designed as a data-driven platform to monitor and analyse global critical mineral supply chains.
The initiative was first announced during the bilateral engagement between the Prime Ministers of India and the United Kingdom in October 2025. It was later formalised through a Research Collaboration Agreement signed in March 2026.
Sukumar Mishra, Director of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and Chairman of the Governing Board of TEXMiN, highlighted the importance of the initiative under the National Critical Mineral Mission and the India–UK Technology Security Initiative.
During the event, TEXMiN and the University of Cambridge jointly presented an interactive demonstration of the Observatory. The platform will help monitor global critical mineral supply chains, identify supply risks and disruptions, generate market intelligence and support informed decision-making for policymakers, industry and researchers.
The initiative is expected to strengthen India–UK cooperation in critical minerals and support resilient, secure and sustainable global supply chains.
