How Realistic Is India’s Quest for Rare-Earth Magnets?
India is pushing to build domestic capacity for rare-earth magnets to cut dependence on China, but technological gaps, supply chain challenges, and cost pressures raise questions about how quickly this ambition can be achieved.
India’s drive to manufacture rare-earth magnets is strategically important but far from straightforward. These magnets—critical for electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics, and defence systems—are currently imported largely from China, which dominates global mining, processing, and magnet production. While India possesses significant rare-earth reserves, converting these resources into high-performance magnets requires advanced processing technology, specialised expertise, and large-scale manufacturing infrastructure that the country is still developing.
The government has begun addressing these gaps through incentive schemes, policy support, and efforts to attract private investment and global partnerships. However, challenges remain, including limited experience in downstream processing, dependence on imports for certain heavy rare-earth elements, environmental clearances, and the need to compete with China’s cost-efficient supply chains.
In reality, India’s quest for rare-earth magnets is achievable but will take time. Rather than immediate self-reliance, the more realistic outcome in the near term is partial domestic production combined with strategic imports. Full competitiveness is likely to emerge over the next decade, provided sustained investment, technology collaboration, and regulatory support continue.
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