Tamil Nadu is set to play a central role in India’s rare earth minerals programme with new mining blocks and a processing facility planned by IREL.

The initiative covers development of new rare earth mineral mines and establishment of downstream processing capacity in the state.

Rare earth elements are critical inputs for electronics, defence systems, electric vehicles, and renewable energy technologies.

The project is part of India’s broader strategy to reduce dependence on imports of critical minerals.

Tamil Nadu hosts some of the country’s key coastal mineral resources used for rare earth extraction.