While the previous decade had focused on oil and information technology, which had claimed resemblance to the value of crude oil. This decade that has recovered from the jawlines of the coronavirus pandemic-induced disruptions to the instruments of a globalized world order, the decade has now characterized critical mineral resources equivalent to the value of new oil.
India & Mongolia
A commonality between India and Mongolia has been their civilizational lineage and the culture that has shaped their respective worldviews. While India has moved forward to be an economic powerhouse in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, Mongolia is in search of tracing its calling in the multipolar order of the 21st century.
Mineral Diplomacy—A Starter Course to the Partnership
The visit of Mongolia’s Head of State, Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, to New Delhi on 14th October 2025 has reignited discussions across the policy circles on the benefits accrued to India from their decade of their initial strategic partnership. India’s support to establish key oil refineries through a public-private partnership between the selected Indian firms and the Mongolian government centered in Ulaanbaatar had characterized their strategic partnership agreement inked during the Indian Head of Government Modi’s visit to Mongolia in August 2015.
Marking a decade of the erstwhile agreement, a new Strategic Partnership Agreement was incorporated this October 2025 with the focus on securing critical minerals, supply chain resilience, and strengthening their defense relations among the key areas of cooperation. Within critical minerals & renewable energy, India has secured permission for the access to the Mongolian critical mineral resources spread across the key deposits of Khalzan Buregtei, Khotgor, and Mushgai Khudag, respectively.
According to the PBI press release, a signed Memorandum of Cooperation & Understanding (MoCU) in the sectors of geology and mineral resources has ensured the flow of mineral extraction technology into Mongolia’s rich deposits towards supporting efficiency in the extraction of mineral resources, which includes copper, uranium, and feldspar, as well as rare-earth ores such as cerium, lanthanum, dysprosium, and terbium that have their geographical abundance in the Mongolian region.
Resource Connectivity as a Segment for Minerals Outreach
While the access to a rich diversity of critical minerals and rare-earth ores has been primary for India’s eyes on the Mongolian economy, the conceptualization may be realized solely with a strengthened collaboration with logistical support and structured supply channels between the economies.
Towards ensuring India’s secure hold over the mineral resources, here’s where strategic friendship with Russia holds immense value for a resilient mineral supply connectivity. The Partnership had reaffirmed their shared commitment towards a resilient, mutually beneficial supply chain network, and who better than Russia to facilitate the proposed framework? The Trans-Siberian Railway route to Vladivostok and the Eastern Maritime Corridor that connects Chennai to Vladivostok are the possible logistical supply routes towards securing India’s hold over Mongolia’s critical resources.
Conclusion
The road from Ulaanbaatar to New Delhi lies through Moscow. This phrase makes complete sense from a critical minerals’ perspective. The Strategic Partnership is a reflection of India’s means to diversify potential resource supply risks from China and focus on its neighboring East as well as Southeast Asia for its mineral acquisition strategy.
