Andhra Pradesh has a continuous belt of rare earth element (REE)–rich beach sand deposits along its coastline.
The corridor stretches 974 km from Srikakulam to Nellore, with key sites including Bhimunipatnam, Kalingapatnam, Kakinada, Narsapur, Machilipatnam, Chirala, Vodarevu, Ramayapatnam, and Dugarajapatnam.
Deposits are rich in monazite, containing 55–60% rare earth oxides and 8–10% thorium.
The state holds 30–35% of India’s monazite reserves and contains light rare earth elements like neodymium, praseodymium, lanthanum, and cerium.
Infrastructure includes Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) processing plant at Gudur and beach sand separation units.