Parliament Question: India's Dependence on Import for Rare Earth Minerals

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4038 ANSWERED ON 12.08.2026 INDIA'S DEPENDENCE ON IMPORT FOR RARE EARTH MINERALS 4038. MS. S JOTHIMANI: Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state: (a) whether the country is currently dependent on China for rare earth minerals and magnets used in electric vehicles, electronics and defence equipment and if so, the details thereof along with India's existing stock that can last if China tightens supply further; (b) the details of the progress made under the Government's schemes to boost domestic mining and manufacturing of rare earth minerals including funds released and projects started so far; (c) whether India's efforts to source rare earth minerals from other countries have started showing results and the manner in which this compares with the quantity still being imported from China; and (d) the details of Government's long-term plan to reduce India's dependence on a single country for such a critical resource? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL AND MINES (SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY) (a) to (d): In FY 2025–26, China accounted for more than 30% of the total value of India’s imports of rare earth elements (REEs). In FY 2025-26, IREL (India) Limited under Atomic Mineral Directorate for Exploration & Research has reported 5.47 kilo tons production of rare earth compound. Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), carries out exploration for rare earth elements (REEs) along the coastal / inland / riverine placer sands of the country, which contain rare earth minerals such as monazite. As on date, AMD has established an estimated resource of REEs as follows:  Approximately 7.31 million tonne (Mt) in-situ Total Rare Earth Oxides Equivalent (TREO Eq.) contained in 13.30 Mt monazite resource, occurring in the coastal beach and teri, beach sand and inland alluvium in parts of AndhraPradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.  1.30 Mt in-situ REE resource (TREO Eq.) in hard rock terrains in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Additionally, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has also estimated resources of REE in hard rock across India. Further, in view of the need to strengthen capabilities and diversify sources of supply, enhance domestic processing, and reduce import dependence, the Government has taken several initiatives, which inter-alia include: i) Approval of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) on 29 January, 2025 with the aim of secure a long-term sustainable supply of critical minerals (including REEs) and strengthen India’s critical mineral value chain encompassing all stages from mineral exploration and mining to beneficiation, processing, and recovery from end-of-life products. ii) NCMM envisages support for investment for acquisition of critical mineral assets to diversify sources of supply. Accordingly, to promote Indian public and private sector entities to undertake mineral exploration in overseas jurisdictions, the Ministry of Mines circulated "Overseas Mineral Exploration Promotion Guidelines" on 16 July 2026. iii) Further, under NCMM, ₹500 crore has been earmarked to support domestic critical mineral processing capabilities by developing mineral processing parks using existing infrastructure to strengthen the domestic processing of critical minerals within the country and promoting local value addition. iv) Additionally, the Union Budget for FY 2026–27 has announced support to the mineral-rich States of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to establish dedicated Rare Earth Corridors to promote mining, processing, research and manufacturing. v) The Ministry of Mines has given prior approval for 15 blocks [(Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) - 10, IREL (India) Limited - 4)] of Beach Sand Minerals and one block of hard rock REE deposit to Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation, Gujarat. vi) India is also engaged with resource-rich countries through bilateral and multilateral cooperation to strengthen access to critical minerals, including rare earth elements. *****