The Africa Pivot: India and Japan’s Quest for Critical Mineral Security
Africa holds 55 percent of the world’s cobalt, 47.65 percent of its manganese, 21.6 percent of its graphite, 5.9 percent of its copper, and 0.6 percent of its iron ore. Africa is a priority in India-Japan discussions on economic security and supply chains, and the India-Japan Joint Declaration on Economic Security Cooperation places it within the partnership’s formal architecture. Backed by the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum, a JETRO strategic report, and renewed focus on the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, India and Japan are positioning themselves to deepen cooperation in critical minerals, digital infrastructure, healthcare, green energy, and resilient supply chains across the Global South.
Why it matters: This matters for critical minerals and supply chains, as India and Japan seek to reduce dependence on China by linking African resources to Asian processing and manufacturing.