Rare and Critical Minerals in India

. Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

• Key Elements: Neodymium, Praseodymium, Cerium, Lanthanum, Samarium, Gadolinium, Yttrium

• Major Deposits:

  • Monazite-rich coastal sands: Found in Kerala (Chavara), Odisha (Odisha Sand Complex), and Tamil Nadu (Manavalakurichi).

  • Andhra Pradesh: Anantapur district hosts light REE minerals like allanite, cerite, and monazite.

• Mining & Processing: Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) operates processing facilities in Aluva (Kerala), Chhatrapur (Odisha), and Manavalakurichi (Tamil Nadu).

2. Lithium

• Major Discoveries:

  • Jammu & Kashmir: Salal-Haimana area in Reasi district with an estimated 5.9 million tonnes of lithium ore.

  • Rajasthan: Degana’s Renvat hill and surrounding areas.

  • Karnataka: Mandya district with estimated reserves of 14,100 tonnes.

  • Jharkhand: East Singhbhum and Hazaribagh districts.

• Processing Initiatives: India is considering incentives to encourage private companies to establish lithium processing facilities.

3. Cobalt & Nickel

• Occurrence: Generally found in association with copper ores.

• Known Deposits: Small deposits exist in Odisha and Jharkhand.

4. Vanadium

• Deposits:

  • Gujarat: Vanadiferous titanomagnetite deposits in the Gulf of Khambhat, possibly transported from the Deccan basalts region.

• Usage: Vanadium is used to strengthen steel and in energy storage systems.

5. Niobium

• Reserves: India has an estimated 282 million tonnes of niobium ore.

• Applications: Niobium is used in steel alloys and superconducting materials

6. Gallium

• Reserves: Approximately 74 million tonnes of gallium ore in India.

• Applications: Gallium is used in semiconductors and LED technologies.

7. Graphite

• Reserves: India possesses about 32 million tonnes of graphite ore.

• Usage: Graphite is essential for battery anodes and refractories.

8. Tantalum

• Discovery: Tantalum deposits have been identified in the Sutlej River area in Punjab.

• Applications: Used in electronics, particularly capacitors and high-end resistors.

9. Uranium

• Major Mines:

  • Tummalapalle, Andhra Pradesh: One of the world’s largest uranium reserves with estimates up to 85,000 tonnes.

  • Rajasthan: Significant deposits in Sikar, Rohil West, Jahaz, and Geratiyon ki Dhani districts.

• Operator: Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL)

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🏭 Key Mining and Processing Entities

• Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL): Specializes in mining and processing of rare earth elements and heavy minerals.

• Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL): Responsible for uranium mining and processing.

• Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL): A joint venture aiming to acquire strategic minerals abroad.

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📊 Summary Table