The Quad nations have launched the "Critical Minerals Initiative" to secure and diversify supply chains amid concerns over China's economic coercion and price manipulation tactics. The decision was announced following a Foreign Ministers' meeting in Washington on Tuesday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar joined counterparts from the US, Australia, and Japan in expressing "deep concern" over supply chain disruptions and non-market practices affecting critical minerals. The joint statement warned that reliance on any single country exposes industries to economic coercion and supply disruptions.

The initiative will strengthen cooperation on securing reliable supply chains, electronic waste recovery, and critical minerals reprocessing while coordinating with private sector partners to facilitate increased investments across the Indo-Pacific region.