Supply chain of rare earth minerals is well set in electronics manufacturing industry: Minister Vaishnaw

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the supply chain for rare earth minerals in the electronics manufacturing industry is well-established and currently faces no bottlenecks in the domestic market. “Supply chain is well set in domestic markets. We don’t have any bottleneck in that”, he said.

Responding to a query regarding efforts to secure critical minerals from international sources, Vaishnaw said on Thursday, “The Ministry of Mines is working on it and the result will be visible very soon”. He further noted that the Government of India has launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) to ensure a stable supply of strategic minerals in the domestic market.

#WATCH | Delhi | Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says, “We have been working on making a digital university version of the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology, NIELIT, about three years ago. I am very happy to share that today, the dream of making NIELIT a… pic.twitter.com/8oUqy4vxFo

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The NCMM is a 2025 Indian initiative aimed at ensuring a stable, self-reliant supply of minerals crucial for green energy, high-tech industries, and defence by developing the domestic supply chain through exploration, mining, processing, and international partnerships.

Launched with a budget of Rs 16,300 crore, the mission focuses on boosting exploration, establishing Centres of Excellence, fostering research and development, promoting recycling, and encouraging the overseas acquisition of critical mineral assets to secure India’s mineral future. The minister added, “The work is very consistent there (in the Critical Mineral Mission).”

Complementing the minister’s remarks, S Krishnan, Secretary to the MEITY, said that as far as the requirement in the electronics sector is concerned, most companies that we speak to have told us that their supply of rare earth minerals is assured. “They say that their supply chains are diversified and secure”, Krishnan said.

The Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) is an Indian government initiative approved in March 2025, with a Rs 22,919 crore outlay, to boost domestic manufacturing of electronic components and deepen the electronics value chain.

It offers output- and employment-linked incentives for investments in targeted components, such as display modules, camera modules, and others, aiming to attract both domestic and international investment to create a robust electronics ecosystem in India. The scheme has received significant investment promises, exceeding its targets. (ANI)