India Eyes Russian Siberian Rare Earth Deposits to Reduce China Reliance

India is intensifying its global hunt for critical minerals as it seeks to insulate its high-tech industries from Chinese supply chain dominance. Recent reports indicate that state-owned miner IREL is in advanced discussions with Russia’s Rosneft to source rare earth samples from the massive Tomtor deposit in Siberia.

Strategic Move via the Tomtor Deposit

The Tomtor deposit, located in Yakutia, stands as one of the world’s largest undeveloped rare earth reserves. Following Rosneft's acquisition of the site last year, India is now attempting to secure access to its mineral wealth. According to sources, the discussions are being conducted through official government channels to maintain confidentiality.

The proposed roadmap involves a cautious, phased approach: Russia will first process the mineral samples before shipping them to India. IREL, which operates under the Department of Atomic Energy, intends to conduct a rigorous study of the mineral composition at Tomtor. This scientific evaluation will serve as the foundation for deciding whether India pursues deeper, long-term commercial engagement with the Russian oil major.

Strengthening the Domestic Magnet Ecosystem

The push for rare earth elements (REEs) is driven by the urgent requirements of the electric vehicle (EV) sector, advanced defense systems, and clean energy technologies. While India currently holds the world’s third-largest rare earth reserves—estimated at approximately 7.23 million metric tons—it faces a significant technological gap. The country currently lacks the large-scale refining capacity required for high-purity separation and does not produce rare earth magnets at scale.

To bridge this gap, the Indian government has approved a ₹73 billion ($770.77 million) programme aimed at boosting domestic rare earth magnet production. The ultimate goal is to have a functional domestic magnet production ecosystem operational by the 2029–30 period.

A Multi-Pronged Global Sourcing Strategy

The engagement with Russia is just one piece of India's broader geopolitical strategy to diversify its mineral sourcing. IREL is simultaneously conducting parallel discussions with specialized firms in Japan and South Korea to acquire technical expertise and supply security.

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