India steps up global push for rare earth security amid China curbs

Mint

23-07-2025

With China enforcing stringent controls on rare earth magnet exports, India has intensified its global outreach to safeguard the critical mineral supply chains, the government told Parliament on Wednesday.
The government has initiated bilateral talks with Brazil and the Dominican Republic, and has also deepened engagement with multilateral platforms to build cooperation around rare earth elements and critical mineral security, Jitendra Singh, minister of state (independent charge) for science and technology, and the department of atomic energy, said.
Apart from other portfolios, Singh also holds charge of the ministry of earth sciences.
The union ministry of mines is engaged in these inter-governmental talks to sign memorandums of understanding, while the ministry of external affairs has tapped into relevant stakeholders to alleviate challenges arising from China's stranglehold over rare earth magnets, the minister's statement said.
Rare earth magnets, essential to sectors like defence, electronics, clean mobility and renewable energy, have become a focal point of global strategic competition, with China holding a dominant position in their processing and trade.
India has exported 18 tonnes of rare earth minerals over the last decade, the minister's written reply to Parliament said.
It said India has approximately 7.23 million tonnes of rare earth oxides, which are processed to make magnets used in key strategic sectors such as defence, electronics, renewable energy, and clean mobility.
"Additionally, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has augmented 482.6 Mt resources of REE (rare earth elements) ore at various cut-off grades in 34 exploration projects," the government said.
It said the mines ministry has initiated talks with mineral-rich nations such as Australia, Argentina, Zambia, Peru, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Cote D'Ivoire as well as international organizations, such as the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The ministry is also engaging with platforms such as the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
India's engagement with multilateral platforms is largely dependent on the US. The MSP is a US-led alliance of 14 countries, including India, and was set up in 2022 to secure critical mineral supply chains by reducing dependence on any one particular country. The IPEF is a similar US-led alliance of 14 countries, focusing on collaborative policies on trade, supply chains, clean energy, and decarbonisation.
The iCET is a bilateral agreement between India and the US for collaboration in technology, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
"Critical minerals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, titanium, rare earth elements, etc., are demand intensive due to their strategic uses in various sectors, viz., electric vehicles, renewable energy and defence," the government said.
"In case of any further development in rare earth mineral exports to Japan, efforts shall be undertaken to mitigate the disruptions," the government statement said.
India had suspended its rare earth mineral export to Japan after China halted export of magnets made of the same material, according to a Reuters report on 15 June, citing unnamed sources.
Mint had reported on 7 July that Indian importers rushed to purchase permanent magnets, including rare earth magnets, at a premium from China, ahead of the export control order issued on 4 April.