Overview

• India’s mines ministry asked state-run IREL and private firm Midwest Advanced Materials to explore collecting and transporting samples from KIA-controlled mines in Kachin state.
• A Kachin Independence Army official says the group has begun assembling samples for India and will assess whether bulk exports are feasible.
• New Delhi intends to test the ore in domestic laboratories to verify heavy rare-earth content suitable for EV and high-tech magnet production.
• Major hurdles persist, including rugged transport routes from remote mining areas and India’s limited high-purity processing capacity, with IREL preferring a private logistics partner.
• China retains dominance in rare-earth processing and has restricted exports, and its foreign ministry says it is not aware of any KIA cooperation with India, while no supply deal has been announced.