The details on the quantum of rare earth metals imported and the countries from which it has been imported during the last five years is given at Annexure-I.

Government is aware of the occurrence of neodymium in the country. The Geological Survey of India (GSI), under the Ministry of Mines, is actively engaged in carrying out mineral exploration across the country following guidelines of United Nations Framework Classification [UNFC stage viz. reconnaissance surveys (G4), preliminary exploration (G3) and general exploration (G2)] and the Minerals (Evidence of Mineral Contents) (MEMC) Rules, 2015 with an aim to augment resource for various mineral commodities including critical minerals specified in Part D of the First Schedule of the Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Act, 2023. During Field Season (FS) 2021-22 and 2022-23, GSI had taken up three reconnaissance stage projects for Rare Earth Elements including neodymium in Sirohi and Bhilwara districts of Rajasthan as per the approved field season programme. The details are given at Annexure-II.

The Department of Atomic Energy has explored 1,11,845 tonne in-situ Rare Earth Elements Oxide (REO) in hard rock terrains in parts of Balotra (erstwhile Barmer) district, Rajasthan. As policy framework for utilizing critical minerals, including rare earth metals, the National Critical Mineral Mission has been launched, which is India’s strategic initiative to secure critical mineral supply chain by increasing domestic critical minerals production and foreign supply sources.

Under the Mission, GSI has prioritized and intensified its exploration activities for critical and strategic minerals across the country including Rajasthan, with an aim to find out potential mineralized locales as well as to establish more resources for these minerals. During the current FS 2024-25, GSI has taken up 195 exploration projects including 35 projects in Rajasthan, to assess the mineral potential of strategic and critical minerals. The detailed list of mineral exploration projects taken up by GSI in Rajasthan exclusively for REE/RM and associated minerals from FS 2021-22 to 2024-25 is given at Annexure-III. Since MMDR Amendment Act, 2015, GSI has established resource of REE in Barmer and Sikar districts of Rajasthan. GSI has handed over one resource bearing geological report (GR) on REE, one Geological Memorandums (GM) on REE and one GM on tungsten for auctioning.

ANNEXURE-I

Annexure-I referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5253 answered on 02.04.2025 regarding ‘Import of Rare Earth Metals’

Table: Country wise quantum of rare earth metals imported by India during last 5 years

 Quantity in Tonnes

#	HS Code- Description	2019-20		2020-21		2021-22		2022-23		2023-24
		Country	Qty	Country	Qty	Country	Qty	Country	Qty	Country	Qty
1.	28053000- Alkali or alkaline earth metals: Rare-earth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or inter alloyed	China	437	China	445	China	714.5	China	709	China	699
		Hong Kong	34	Japan	11	Japan	34	Japan	42	Hong Kong	234
		Japan	2	Sweden	10	USA	6.6	Singapore	20	Japan	192
		USA	0.57	USA	4.69	Hong Kong	5	Hong Kong	20	Mongolia	60
		UK	0.08	Hong Kong	0.05	Russia	1	USA	1.09	UK	0.11
		Others	0.00	Others	0.07	Others	0.06	Others	0.18	Others	0.02
		Total	473.65	Total	470.61	Total	761	Total	792	Total	1,185
2.	2846- Compounds, inorganic or organic, of rare earth metals	Russia	452	China	695	China	745	China	796	China	780
		China	434	Russia	156	Japan	196	Korea	150	Japan	148
		Japan	255	Japan	133	Korea	93	Japan	148	Korea	90
		Germany	59	Korea	91	Austria	41	USA	20	USA	24
		Austria	31	Austria	46	Russia	40	France	14	France	19
		Others	144	Others	129	Others	69	Others	24	Others	24
		Total	1,375	Total	1,250	Total	1,183	Total	1,153	Total	1,086
	REE Total		1,848		1,721		1,944		1,945		2,270

Note:REE has 17 elements. HS codes 280530 and 2846 pertain to REE as a whole and not to a particular element.

 

ANNEXURE-II

Annexure-II referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5253 answered on 02.04.2025 regarding ‘Import of Rare Earth Metals’

Table: G4 stage projects taken up for Rare Earth Elements including neodymium in Rajasthan during FS 2021-22 and FS 2022-23

Sl. No	State	District	Name of Mineral Block / Area/ Belt	UNFC Stage	Mineral Commodity
FS: 2021-22
1	Rajasthan	Sirohi	Jirawal-Sanpur	G4	Neodymium and Dysprosium
2	Rajasthan	Bhilwara	Mahendragarh-Gundli-Bawri	G4	Neodymium and associated REE
FS: 2022-23
3	Rajasthan	Bhilwara	Kodukota-Raser-Lulas-Kallyakhera	G4	REE and associated Neodymium

 

ANNEXURE-III

 

Annexure-III referred to in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5253 answered on 02.04.2025 regarding ‘Import of Rare Earth Metals’

Table: List of projects taken up by GSI on REE/RM and associated minerals from FS 2021-22 to FS 2024-25

 

 

This information was given by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

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