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India’s Rare Earth Reserves vs Production Gap
January 1 , 2026
15 hrs 0 min
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- India ranks 3rd globally in rare earth reserves with about 6.9 million tonnes of Rare Earth Oxide (REO).
- India holds nearly 6–7% of global rare earth reserves, but contributes less than 1% of global production.
- In 2024, India produced only 2,900 tonnes, ranking 7th in the world in rare earth production.
- Most Indian reserves are in monazite-rich coastal sands, which also contain thorium (a radioactive element).
- Mining is regulated strictly due to radioactivity and was mainly handled by Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) earlier.
- India has very limited processing and refining facilities, which slows down large-scale production.
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