Rare earths not rare, their concentration is: GSI chief

Against the backdrop of a severe shortage of rare earth permanent magnets due to China's export curbs, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) is planning to complete 100 ongoing exploration projects on rare earth by the end of the next financial year, a top official at the scientific government agency said.

- PUJA DAS

The GSI plan does not imply that the finished product or permanent magnets will be available immediately as exploration is the first step, and for magnets, the reliance on China remains.

Rare earths — a group of elements — are critical materials used to manufacture several products ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles (EV). Due to the shortage of rare earth magnets, many EV companies have indicated that they are staring at a production halt. At present, GSI has almost 240 projects on critical minerals, including around 100 related to rare earth.