India Eyes Siberian Rare Earth Reserves in Talks with Russia's Rosneft

India is holding discussions with Russian oil producer Rosneft to study the mineral composition of rare earth deposits in Siberia, as per The Economic Times report.  

The exercise is part of the country's plans to secure access to critical minerals that are required across the manufacturing and technology sectors. 

Import Reliance Brings Supply Concerns 

Rare earth elements are used in permanent magnets that go into electric vehicle motors, electronics, and other industrial applications.  

India depends largely on imports to meet domestic demand as it does not have commercial-scale facilities for refining and separating these minerals. 

Supply concerns increased after China, India's biggest source of rare earth magnets, tightened export controls. The restrictions affected availability of key components and renewed focus on finding alternative sources of supply for domestic industries. 

Russia Holds Large Mineral Reserves 

Russia is estimated to have some of the world's largest rare earth reserves, with major deposits located in Siberia and the Murmansk region.  

Rosneft acquired the Tomtor deposit in Siberia last year. Indian officials are studying the mineral composition of the reserve as part of the discussions. 

The proposed engagement follows the annual India-Russia summit held in December, where both countries agreed to cooperate in the rare earth and critical minerals sector. The understanding covers exploration, technology and other areas linked to the supply chain. 

Research Partnerships Continue 

Alongside the discussions, research collaborations have also been announced. In May, JSC Giredmet, a unit of Rosatom's scientific division, signed a memorandum of understanding with India's Nexon Geochem for research and development of technologies to process rare earth raw materials. 

Giredmet also signed a letter of intent with the Technology Innovation in Exploration & Mining Foundation (TEXMiN), part of the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines).  

The agreement includes joint work on neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets, covering the metallurgical process and pilot-scale validation of processing technologies. 

Read More: Tamil Nadu Approves 5 Dedicated Renewable Energy Zones Under Green Energy Corporation for Wind and Solar Projects! 

Conclusion 

India's discussions with Russia on rare earth deposits and processing technologies add to ongoing cooperation in the critical minerals sector, with an emphasis on supply security and industrial applications. 

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