India is actively engaging in talks with Brazil, Canada, France, and the Netherlands to secure critical minerals such as lithium and rare earths, essential for its clean energy and industrial growth. According to the Daily Times, these discussions are part of India's strategy to reduce dependency on China, which currently dominates the global supply of these minerals. The Hindu highlights the paradox of India's position, possessing the world's fifth-largest reserves of rare earth elements (REE) but contributing less than 1% to global output. This strategic outreach aims to replicate elements of a recent agreement with Germany, focusing on exploration, processing, and recycling of critical minerals, as reported by Business Recorder. The timeline for these developments is extensive, with exploration alone taking five to seven years, often without resulting in a viable mine, as noted by Global Banking & Finance Review.