NEW DELHI — India is ramping up efforts to boost domestic production of rare earth permanent magnets and accelerate exploration of critical minerals such as lithium, with a goal of reaching 5,000 tonnes in annual magnet production capacity by 2030, the government said Wednesday.
Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha that demand for rare earth permanent magnets in India, currently about 4,000 tonnes, is expected to nearly double to 8,000 tonnes by the end of the decade, underscoring the need to expand domestic capabilities.
To meet that demand, the government has launched a pilot project focused on neodymium-iron-boron magnets, widely used in electric vehicles and other advanced technologies. In addition, a samarium-cobalt magnet plant in Visakhapatnam has begun operations with an initial capacity of 500 tonnes per year.
Officials said the plant’s capacity will be increased to 2,000 tonnes in the next phase and eventually scaled up to 5,000 tonnes annually by 2030.
Singh also provided an update on lithium exploration, noting that preliminary surveys are underway in Rajasthan’s Degana region, with further exploration expected soon. Similar efforts are ongoing in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Lithium and rare earth elements are considered essential for industries such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, defense, aerospace, and space technologies. Singh said these materials will play a key role in supporting India’s clean energy transition and the development of reliable energy systems.
The government is coordinating across ministries to accelerate the exploration and development of critical mineral resources, he said.
Policy reforms, including changes under the Atomic Energy amendment framework, have opened up exploration of several critical minerals to private sector participation, while maintaining safeguards for strategic materials such as uranium.
Singh also pointed to newly announced rare earth corridors in Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala aimed at strengthening domestic processing and value addition capabilities.
Rare earth elements in India are found in both beach sand deposits and rock formations, requiring different exploration techniques. States such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Jharkhand hold significant rock-based deposits, which are generally more complex to develop, the minister said. (Source: IANS)
