India launches special rare-earth corridors in mineral-rich regions

According to IANS, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will support the creation of integrated rare-earth hubs in the Indian states of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. These corridors are designed to cover the full value chain – from extraction and processing to research, innovation, and high-end manufacturing.

The move represents a significant step in India’s efforts to build domestic capacity in rare-earth elements, which are essential for electronics, renewable energy technologies, electric mobility, and advanced manufacturing.

The corridor initiative builds on a national programme approved in late 2025 to develop domestic production of rare-earth permanent magnets. The programme aims to establish an integrated manufacturing capacity of 6,000 tonnes per year, reinforcing India’s ambition to become a competitive global player in this strategically sensitive sector.

The selected states are home to substantial deposits of monazite and other beach sand minerals, particularly along India’s eastern and southern coastlines. These deposits contain high concentrations of rare earth elements, making them central to the country’s long-term mineral strategy.

The initiative aligns with broader policy goals under India’s critical minerals framework and recent reforms aimed at modernising the mining sector, improving transparency, and accelerating project execution.

As reported earlier, India and the United States have agreed on a new trade deal following a phone conversation between President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.