Pillar map
Critical Minerals
India can mine, but the refining and magnet-making layer that turns ore into usable material is controlled abroad, mostly by China.
The stack
Where the value sits
Each layer and the chokepoints inside it, coloured by where India stands.
Sintered NdFeB magnet manufacturing
Contested Indian capability Foreign-controlled Global / neutral
Who holds the veto
Chokepoints
Who controls each layer, and how much — ranked by concentration.
ControllerLayer / inputShareNote
Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL)controls CAMYEN Catamarca Lithium Blocks (5)15703 hectares5 blocks: Cortadera-I, Cortadera-VII, Cortadera-VIII, Cateo-2022-01810132, Cortadera-VI.
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)controls IREL (India) Limited100%IREL is a PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy.
Chinacontrols Spherical Graphite Processing99%China accounts for 99% of the global spherical-graphite market; ~80% of natural-graphite mining and >80% of coated spher
Chinacontrols Gallium primary low-purity production99%USGS MCS 2025: China accounted for 99% of worldwide primary low-purity gallium production in 2024 (98% in 2023).
Chinacontrols Sintered NdFeB Permanent Magnet Manufacturing94%China produced 94% of global sintered NdFeB permanent magnets in 2024 (IEA).
Chinacontrols Rare-Earth Separation and Refining (Solvent Extraction)91%China refined 91% of global magnet-REE output in 2024 (IEA Rare Earth Elements report).
Chinacontrols Tungsten mine production83%USGS MCS 2025: China 67,000 t of 81,000 t world total in 2024 (82.7%); ~52% of world reserves.
Chinacontrols Battery-grade Lithium Refining70%China refines 70% of global lithium chemicals and 95% of hard-rock lithium ore refining (IEA Outlook 2025).
Chinacontrols Antimony mine production60%USGS MCS 2025: China 60,000 t of 100,000 t world total in 2024.
Chinacontrols Battery-grade Nickel Chemicals (Sulphate)60%China accounted for 60% of global nickel-chemical production in 2024 and retains dominance through 2040 (IEA Outlook 202
Chinacontrols Germanium mine/refinery production60%USGS MCS 2025 does not publish a single percentage; USITC (2023) and CSIS corroborate ~60%, with 68% reflecting ~2021 da
Battery-grade Lithium Refiningdepends on Lithium1 feedstock dependencyRefining capacity requires upstream lithium concentrate or brine.
Exide Energy Solutions Ltd (EESL)depends on Battery-grade Lithium Refining1 feedstock gapIndia has no commercial battery-grade lithium refining capacity as of 2026; the Bengaluru gigafactory will rely on impor
Sintered NdFeB Permanent Magnet Manufacturingdepends on Rare-Earth Separation and Refining (Solvent Extraction)1 feedstock dependencySintered NdFeB magnets require high-purity Nd oxide, Pr oxide and (for high-coercivity grades) Dy/Tb feedstock.
Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd (ARACT)depends on Battery-grade Lithium Refining1 feedstock gapSame structural gap as Exide — domestic lithium refining does not exist.
Exide Energy Solutions Ltd (EESL)depends on SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd.1 technology partnerSVOLT provides cell chemistry and manufacturing technology under a long-running partnership; a strategic dependency for
Magnet-free EV traction motordepends on Motor-control power electronics—Magnet-free architectures depend on advanced motor-control power electronics — the controller carries the complexity the magnet no longer does.
The ecosystem
Players by role
Foreign incumbents (8)
Indian challengers (17)
Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd (ARACT)Attero Recycling Private LimitedCoal India Limited (CIL)Exide Energy Solutions Ltd (EESL)Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL)Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL)IREL (India) LimitedKhanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL)Log9 MaterialsLohum Cleantech Private LimitedMidwest Advanced MaterialsMineral Exploration and Consultancy LimitedNational Aluminium Company LimitedNTPC Mining LtdOil India LimitedVedanta LimitedVimag Labs
Facilities & anchors (8)
Amara Raja Giga Corridor, DivitipalliCAMYEN Catamarca Lithium Blocks (5)Exide Energy Solutions Gigafactory, BengaluruIREL Odisha Sand Complex (OSCOM), ChhatrapurIREL Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Plant (REPM), VisakhapatnamKatghora Lithium & PGE BlockKawalapur Rare Earth Elements BlockReasi Lithium Deposit (Salal-Haimana, J&K)
Schemes & agencies (8)
Critical Mineral Recycling Incentive SchemeCritical Minerals Facilitation Office (Australia)Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)Geological Survey of IndiaMinistry of Heavy IndustriesMinistry of MinesNational Critical Mineral MissionScheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets
Streams & inputs (24)
AntimonyBattery-grade Lithium RefiningCobaltCobalt Sulphate RefiningCopperCritical Mineral Recycling / Urban MiningGermaniumGraphite (battery-anode grade)High-energy Li-ion cellsLithiumMagnet-free EV traction motorMotor-control power electronicsNatural GraphiteNickel (battery-grade sulphate)Rare Earth Elements (magnet: Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb)Rare Earth Elements / Neodymium-PraseodymiumRare-earth permanent magnets (NdFeB)Rare-earth separation and refining (Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb)Rare-Earth Separation and Refining (Solvent Extraction)Sintered NdFeB magnet manufacturingSintered NdFeB Permanent Magnet ManufacturingSpherical Graphite ProcessingTungstenUrban mining / critical mineral recycling
The moat
Where this pillar connects
Cross-pillar links only Techadyant can show — one graph, not five silos.
- People's Republic of Chinaowns / controlsGalliumdefence
- People's Republic of Chinasupplies toDrone flight controllerdefence
- Rare-earth permanent magnets (NdFeB)component ofBLDC drone motorsdefence
- High-energy Li-ion cellscomponent ofDrone battery packsdefence