India Steps Up Push On Rare Earth Exploration

NEW DELHI – The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), is carrying out exploration and augmentation of minerals of rare earth group elements along coastal and inland placer sands, as well as in hard rock terrains, across several potential geological domains of the country.

As of January 28, 2026, the rare earth mineral resources estimated by AMD include 136 deposits of Beach Sand Minerals containing 13.15 million tons of monazite, a mineral containing thorium and rare earths. These deposits occur in coastal beaches, teri/red sands and inland alluvium in parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

These deposits contain approximately 7.23 Mt of in-situ Rare Earth Oxide (eq.) resources.

Additionally, three deposits of rare earth minerals in hard rocks in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, containing 1.29 Mt of in-situ Rare Earth Oxide (eq.) resources, have also been estimated.

The rare earth-bearing ore monazite is a prescribed substance due to its association with radioactive elements — uranium and thorium — and therefore mining, processing and refining of the mineral is kept under government control.

However, Indian resources are significantly lean in grade and are associated with radioactive elements, making extraction a long, complex and expensive process. Further, Indian resources predominantly contain light rare earth elements.

Commercial mining and processing have remained limited due to the lack of adequate technology and the absence of midstream and downstream industries in the rare earth element value chain.  (IANS)