Jharkhand to Play Key Role as
New Delhi: India is accelerating domestic production of rare earth permanent magnets and lithium exploration, aiming for a 5,000-tonne capacity by 2030. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science & Technology, identified Jharkhand as a critical player in this mission due to its significant deposits of complex rock-based minerals.
Jharkhand’s Strategic Importance
While rare earth elements appear in beach sands elsewhere, the Minister highlighted that Jharkhand, along with Rajasthan and Gujarat, holds vital rock-formation deposits. Although these formations require more complex exploration techniques, they remain central to India’s strategy to secure critical minerals.
Scaling Production to Meet Demand
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is aggressively expanding infrastructure to bridge the gap between supply and demand:
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Current Demand: India requires approximately 4,000 tonnes of rare earth magnets.
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Future Projection: Demand will likely hit 8,000 tonnes by 2030.
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Production Roadmap: A new Samarium-Cobalt plant in Visakhapatnam currently produces 500 tonnes annually. The DAE plans to scale this to 2,000 tonnes in the next phase, eventually reaching the 5,000-tonne goal by 2030.
Powering the Future
Dr. Singh emphasized that these elements anchor the future of Indian industry. These minerals will directly power:
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Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Renewable Energy.
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Defense, Aerospace, and Space applications.
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Electronics and high-reliability energy systems.
Policy and Private Sector Growth
To fast-track results, the government has updated the Atomic Energy (Amendment) framework. This policy change invites the private sector to participate in mineral exploration while maintaining strict safeguards for strategic resources like uranium. While the government recently announced rare earth corridors for coastal states, the focus remains on tapping the inland potential of mineral-rich states like Jharkhand to ensure a steady supply for the nation’s clean energy transition.
