Scheme for Promoting Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM)

Syllabus: Industrial Policy & Critical Minerals

Ministry of Mines

Why in news?

The Indian government approved a ₹7,280 crore scheme to establish a domestic manufacturing base for sintered REPM, which are critical for electric vehicles and renewable energy.

⚛️Static Concepts

Rare Earth ElementsPhases of IndustrializationCritical Minerals Mission

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Prelims-Oriented Points

Focuses on Sintered Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) magnets, a key building block for modern electronics.
Outlay: ₹7,280 crore to support infrastructure and production capacities.
Strategic Importance: Essential for EV motors, wind energy generators, and advanced robotics.
Raw Material: India has the 5th largest rare earth reserves globally (monazite sand), but lacks downstream processing.

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Examiner's Trap: Magnets are NOT the same as Rare Earth Elements (REEs); magnets use REEs as key raw materials for their superior magnetic properties.

Quick Data Points

Outlay: ₹7,280 Cr

India's Global Reserve Rank: 5th

Mains Value Addition

GS-3: Science & Tech, Environment (Green Energy), and Resource Security.

De-risking Supply Chains: Reduces heavy dependency on China, which currently dominates >90% of global REPM supply.
Green Transition: Critical for achieving India's Net Zero goals as magnets are vital for EVs and wind turbines.

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Strategy Deep Dive