India’s defence modernisation and industrial expansion is inextricably tied to a reliable supply of critical minerals. Advanced military platforms, from fighter aircrafts and precision-guided munitions to radars, satellites, and electronic warfare systems, all depend on a range of strategic minerals that are sourced through highly concentrated global supply chains. China’s dominance across the processing and refining of several of these gives it significant leverage over global production networks. In response, countries are moving to secure domestic resources, fuelling a broader wave of resource nationalism. The tech war between the US and China has demonstrated how major powers are increasingly willing to use export controls, sanctions, and regulatory tools as instruments of economic coercion. For India, this raises concerns about the cascading effects on defence manufacturing timelines, maintenance cycles, and broader industrial capacity.
This month’s edition of the National Security Dialogue will examine how critical minerals are reshaping the calculus of defence preparedness. It will explore the choices India must consider to secure its mineral supply chains amidst growing geopolitical competition.
Driving Questions:
