Rare earths not so rare again, India averts crippling crunch: Anatomy of a near-disaster

In a significant development, China has finally lifted restrictions on the export of rare earth magnets to India. This decision comes as a major relief to various key sectors of Indian economy, including the automobile industry, renewable energy, consumer electronics, defence, aerospace and healthcare.

With China reopening the rare earth supply lines, Indian industry narrowly averted a disaster that could have potentially cripped Indian industry. A ToI analysis looks at why China's lifting of these curbs is timely, especially with the upcoming festive season in India.

As India navigates its path towards self-reliance in rare earth magnet production, the recent lifting of Chinese export curbs marks a crucial step. It opens the door for industries to thrive while also setting the stage for future initiatives aimed at reducing dependence on foreign sources, ToI's analysis highlighted.

Rare earth magnets are known for their exceptional strength and resistance to demagnetisation. These magnets are made from rare earth elements such as neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium, which give them their powerful magnetic properties.

The most prevalent type of rare earth magnet is the neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnet, widely used in applications where space and weight are critical.

China plays a pivotal role in the global rare earth magnet market, accounting for approximately 70% of the world's rare earth metals mining and nearly 90% of magnet production. The country dominates the supply chain, overseeing mining, refining, alloy production and magnet manufacturing.

This control has allowed China to maintain a stronghold in the industry, especially as the demand for rare earth magnets has surged in recent years, ToI's analysis (by Pankaj Doval) underlined.

India's automobile sector, which is required to import about 870 tonnes of rare earth magnets in 2025-26, has been particularly affected by China's previous restrictions.

These magnets are essential for various components in both internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs), including electric motors, speedometers and ignition coils.

The stringent import process imposed by China had raised alarms, with many companies warning of potential production halts and delays in product launches.

The recent relaxation of export controls is expected to provide substantial relief to Indian industries, enabling them to meet rising demand.

However, industry stakeholders are still advocating for the Indian government to facilitate imports from non-China sources, such as Vietnam, Brazil and Russia, until local production capabilities are established.

Looking towards the future, India aims to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of rare earth magnets within the next three to five years. To realise this goal, a comprehensive domestic value chain must be established.

This would require financial incentives linked to production, as well as policy support to encourage investments in high-technology sectors.

Additionally, public-private partnerships could play a critical role in setting up rare earth processing facilities and magnet production clusters across the country.