India Expands Rare Earth Exploration Across Key Mineral-Rich States
India is intensifying efforts to explore rare earth minerals across several coastal and inland regions to strengthen its domestic supply of critical resources used in advanced technologies. The government informed Parliament that fresh exploration activities are currently underway in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
The surveys are being conducted by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) to identify additional deposits of monazite, a key mineral containing rare earth elements. Exploration is currently focused on Dr B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district in Andhra Pradesh, Puri district in Odisha and Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu.
In addition to coastal areas, the government has expanded surveys to several inland regions with hard-rock terrain. These locations include parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. These studies aim to identify new rare earth reserves and strengthen India’s resource base for future industrial demand.
Monazite is one of the most important rare-earth-bearing minerals found in India and commonly occurs alongside other heavy minerals in beach sand deposits. However, extracting it from coastal sands is technically complex and expensive because the mineral contains radioactive elements. According to government estimates, developing a mining project in such deposits can take four to five years, including approvals, leasing and operational preparation.
In the Union Budget 2026, the government also announced plans to establish dedicated rare earth corridors in mineral-rich coastal states. These corridors are expected to promote mining, processing, research and manufacturing activities related to critical minerals.
India has already identified more than 1.3 billion tonnes of heavy mineral resources across several states, including significant reserves of ilmenite, zircon, garnet and monazite, highlighting the country’s strong potential in the rare earth sector.
Source: Business Standard
