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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO–3145
ANSWERED ON 11/03/2026
MINERALS IN COASTAL BEACHES
3145. SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI
Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state :-
a) whether Atomic Energy Directorate has established minerals in coastal beaches, red sands,
etc., in Andhra Pradesh and few other States;
b) if so, the details of minerals and quantum of minerals found in the said States;
c) the manner in which the announcement made by the Finance Minister in the Union Budget
that rare earth corridors would be for mining, processing and manufacture of rare earths help
the country to extract them; and
d) the timelines required to extract rare earth minerals from coastal beaches along with the status
of rare earth exploration in the country as of now?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND
PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):
(a) Yes, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), has established resources of Beach Sand Minerals
(BSM) in the red (teri) and coastal beach sands in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil
Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal and Jharkhand.
(b) The total resources of economic heavy minerals including BSM and inland placers in the
country as on December, 2025 are 1,309.42 million tonne (Mt) (Rounded off to 1,309Mt).
The State-wise details of Total Heavy Mineral (THM) Resource (million tonnes) as on
December, 2025 is as under :
State Deposits Ilmenite Rutile Leucoxene Monazite Zircon Garnet Sillimanite THM
Odisha 13 172.25 7.19 0.94 3.22 6.00 71.60 90.17 351.36
Andhra Pradesh 25 178.75 11.46 3.64 4.05 12.75 67.30 81.85 359.79
Tamil Nadu 54 191.29 8.35 6.56 2.55 10.75 71.15 39.99 330.64Kerala 35 144.02 8.74 8.23 1.84 7.96 7.38 64.72 242.88
Maharashtra 5 5.50 0.01 0.06 0.004 0.03 0.02 0.01 5.64
Gujarat 2 11.64 0.03 0.33 0.07 0.06 0.38 0.04 12.53
West Bengal 1 2.05 0.19 - 1.20 0.38 - 1.63 5.45
Jharkhand 1 0.73 0.01 - 0.21 0.08 - 0.08 1.12
Total 136 706.24 35.98 19.75 13.15 38.00 217.83 278.48 1,309.42
(c) The Union Budget 2026 made an announcement to support mineral-rich coastal states of
Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to establish dedicated Rare Earth corridors
to promote mining, processing, research and manufacturing. These Rare Earth Corridors are
intended for developing a resilient and globally competitive rare earths ecosystem in India by
enhancing production of the NdPr and Samarium oxides and fostering the domestic demand
for production of RE magnets and at the same time facilitating establishment of industries in
the value chain of Titanium and Zirconium etc. These dedicated RE corridors envisage
positioning India as a national hub for Rare Earths, titanium and critical minerals value
addition—serving both industrial growth and national strategic requirements.
(d) Monazite is the known Rare Earth bearing mineral found in India. It is found in association
with six other beach sand heavy minerals. On account of the radioactive source, extraction of
Monazite from coastal beaches is long, complex and expensive. Mining of monazite is carried
out as per the mining plan approved by AMD which in turn depends upon the limits prescribed
by various statutory bodies. Factors such as dense inhabitation in coastal stretches, timeline
of regulatory compliances and sustainability leads an involved process of monazite from
coastal beaches. The tentative timeline required for extraction of rare earth minerals from a
particular deposit in coastal beaches can extended to 4-5 years from the date of nomination
of Prospective lessee to obtaining of statutory clearances, execution of mining lease deed and
finally operationalization of the deposit. AMD is presently carrying out exploration to identify
additional resources of monazite (a mineral of REE and thorium) in the beach sand deposits
along coastal tracts in parts of Dr. Ambedkar Konaseema district in Andhra Pradesh; Puri
district in Odisha and Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu. Additionally, AMD is also
carrying out exploration to augment REE resources in hard rock terrains in parts of Jodhpur,
Balotra and Udaipur districts in Rajasthan; Chhota Udepur district in Gujarat; Salem district
in Tamil Nadu; and Warangal and Suryapet districts in Telangana.
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