India and Myanmar are actively working to strengthen bilateral ties in the rare earths sector, with New Delhi pursuing alternative sources for a strategic resource that remains heavily dominated by China. The growing collaboration was highlighted in a speech delivered on Wednesday by India’s Ambassador to Myanmar, Abhay Thakur, at the opening of a mining forum held in Mandalay.
Momentum Builds Over Two Years
Ambassador Thakur noted that cooperation in the mining sector has gained significant momentum over the last two years. This has included two Indian delegations focused on rare earths and critical minerals that visited Myanmar one in December 2024 and another in February 2026. The issue has also drawn high-level attention, having been discussed during an official visit by Myanmar’s junta chief turned president, Min Aung Hlaing, to India in May and June of this year.
Thakur stated at the forum that India’s need for harnessing critical minerals, coupled with the benefits to Myanmar from sustainable mining, presents solid, win-win, short and long-term opportunities.
Why Myanmar Matters for Critical Minerals
Nearly half of the world’s supply of heavy rare earths is extracted from mines located in Myanmar’s Kachin state. These materials are then shipped to China, where they are processed into magnets that power electric vehicles and wind turbines, as previously reported by Reuters. This positions Myanmar as a significant source within the global rare earth supply chain, even as China retains control over the downstream processing stage.
Reuters had also earlier reported that India sought rare earth samples through the rebel Kachin Independence Army, which controls Myanmar’s main mining hubs near the Chinese border. The India-Myanmar rare earths engagement thus extends beyond government-to-government dealings and into the complex ground realities of the Kachin region.
Indian Firms at the Mandalay Forum
Ambassador Thakur confirmed that several Indian companies were present at the Mandalay mining forum, including IREL, NTPC Mining, Himadri Specialty, Oceanic Sands, PrNd Metal & Magnets, and Jai Puri Holdings. He also noted that “Midwest from India” has closely engaged with Myanmar in recent months and years, without specifying the nature of that involvement.
Reuters had previously reported that state-owned miner IREL and private firm Midwest Advanced Materials were among those involved in discussions to explore the collection and transportation of samples from mines under Kachin Independence Army control.
Strategic Context
The deepening India-Myanmar rare earths engagement reflects New Delhi’s broader effort to reduce dependence on Chinese-controlled critical mineral supply chains. With heavy rare earths being central to modern clean energy and technology sectors, access to alternative sources has become an increasingly pressing strategic priority for India.