India turns to Myanmar’s rebel-backed mines to secure rare earths vital for electronics and EVs, aiming to counter China’s supply stranglehold.
India is seeking to diversify rare earth supplies by engaging with Myanmar’s Kachin Independence Army (KIA), a powerful rebel group controlling mines in the country’s northeast. The Ministry of Mines has directed state-run IREL and private firm Midwest Advanced Materials, which were funded last year for rare-earth magnet production, to collect and transport mineral samples from Myanmar.
The samples, already being gathered by the KIA, will be tested in Indian laboratories for heavy rare earths, critical to electric vehicles, wind turbines, defence electronics, consumer devices, and advanced sensors. The move comes after Beijing imposed restrictions on rare earth exports in 2025, heightening India’s urgency to secure alternative sources.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue in August with Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, though no formal agreement was announced. Meanwhile, IREL is pursuing collaborations with Japanese and Korean partners to strengthen India’s rare-earth magnet manufacturing base.
The KIA, which took control of the resource-rich Chipwe-Pangwa mining belt last year, has traditionally supplied rare earths to China but is now deepening engagement with India amid tensions with the junta. However, transporting bulk minerals across Myanmar’s rugged terrain remains a significant challenge.
Analysts note that competition with China is driving India’s outreach, but scaling up processing without Chinese technology will be difficult. Experts emphasise that while India could eventually refine rare earths domestically, building industrial-scale capacity will require time.
India’s initiative signals a strategic push to reduce reliance on Beijing and secure critical minerals for its fast-growing electronics and high-tech industries as global demand for rare earths continues to rise.
