India emerging in rare earths supply chain

India holds roughly 8% of the world’s rare earth element (REE) reserves, positioning it to play a larger role as the global supply landscape shifts.
International Energy Agency projections suggest China’s mining share could fall from about 69% to 51% and its refining share from roughly 90% to 76% by 2030, reducing but not eliminating concentration risks.
Despite substantial reserves, India currently accounts for under 1% of global REE mining, prompting the 2025 launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission to scale exploration, processing and domestic value‑addition.
Indian authorities have identified 130 deposits, concentrated in coastal states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. State-owned Indian Rare Earths Limited is considering export limits to preserve feedstock for domestic refining and downstream industries.
REEs are critical for clean energy technologies, electric vehicles and defence systems, so supply disruptions can cause cost and schedule impacts for high‑tech programs.
Near-term reliance on incumbent suppliers is likely to continue because new mining and refining capacity has not yet reached commercial scale. Policymakers cite increased investment, streamlined permitting and multilateral cooperation as essential to diversify and harden supply chains.
The US has invested heavily in domestic REE initiatives but refining bottlenecks persist, with much ore still refined abroad.