India eyes rare earth mining pacts in Russia and Africa – Reuters

New Delhi is looking for new sources as it addresses Beijing’s export curbs

India is exploring rare earth mining pacts with Russia, Australia, Argentina, Chile, and several African countries, Reuters has reported.

New Delhi’s search for alternate supplies comes in response to curbs announced by China on rare earths and related technologies. In October 2025, Beijing began restricting exports of permanent magnets, batteries, and battery components, as well as processing technologies, after trade tensions with the US intensified.

“In our country and in foreign countries also, we are going to invest, we are going to explore; we are also collaborating with other companies for rare earth metals. It is in the starting stage,” Manoj Kumar Agarwal, chairman of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. (BCCL), told Reuters in an interview.

Talks are on with other firms as New Delhi seeks to secure alternative sources of the minerals, he told the news outlet. Domestically, BCCL aims to collaborate with state-run IREL, Khanij Bidesh India Ltd, and Hindustan Copper, he added.

The development signals New Delhi’s push to secure critical minerals vital to the steel, automotive, and clean energy industries. Funding will be tapped from Bharat Coking Coal Ltd’s (BCCL) oversubscribed IPO, which raised about $119 million, according to the Reuters report.

Rare earth elements are used in a variety of products, including televisions and cellphones, and are critical for technologies which are vital to the defense sector. China leads the world in the reserves and production of these minerals, controlling more than 90% of global refining capacity.

New Delhi’s infrastructure push and the demand for steel are expected to boost long-term growth, according to the report, which noted that this has implications for resource-rich African economies seeking new global partners.

India and Russia have reaffirmed their willingness to intensify trade and investment cooperation in the Far East and the Arctic zone, with a program covering energy and mining.