FOUR STATES, FOUR VISIONS: INSIDE INDIA'S RARE EARTH POWER PLAY

In the Union Budget 2026-27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a transformative initiative to establish dedicated Rare Earth Corridors across India's mineral-rich coastal states.

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This strategic move aims to end-to-end integrate the rare earth value chainfrom extraction to high-end manufacturing-positioning India as a global hub for green energy and high-tech components while drastically reducing reliance on Chinese imports. India's National Critical Minerals Mission provides the overarching strategic framework that guides the entire project. A Special Report

The announcement set off a competitive sprint among India's coastal states—each racing to position itself as the nation's rare earth capital. But the race hasn't been smooth, with some states sprinting ahead while others are putting the brakes on.

The Rare Earth Corridors initiative isn't just another industrial policy. It's a calculated bet that India can transform beach-sand minerals like monazite into the technological backbone of a modern economy. Four coastal states—Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu— have been chosen as the battlegrounds where this transformation will unfold.

The vision is elegant in its simplicity: create localised ecosystems where mining, refining, and manufacturing don't just coexist—they're physically and economically fused. No more shipping raw materials abroad. No more dependency on foreign suppliers for the magnets that power electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defence systems.

This initiative serves as the structural backbone to the 7,280-crore Rare Earth Permanent Magnet scheme, but its ambitions stretch far beyond government procurement. The corridors will become magnets in their own right—attracting research institutions, private capital, and cutting-edge technology through duty exemptions and production-linked incentives.