India's rare earth magnet scheme gets 20 bids; L&T, Coal India, ReNew among bidders
New Delhi, August 13
The government's Rs 7,280-crore scheme to promote domestic manufacturing of rare earth permanent magnets has received 20 bids, including from Larsen & Toubro, Coal India and ReNew, for setting up integrated manufacturing facilities in the country, the Ministry of Heavy Industries said on Thursday.
The bids were received through a global tender for selection of manufacturers under the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM), according to a press release issued by the ministry.
It said the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) received 20 bids through Global Tender on CPP portal for Selection of Manufacturers for establishing integrated Sintered NdFeB Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Manufacturing Facilities.
The bidders also include Attero Recycling, 20 Microns, Lohum Magnets & Energy Solutions, NEO Performance Materials (Singapore), Proterial (India), Prozeal Green Energy.
The scheme aims to establish a total domestic manufacturing capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) of integrated rare earth permanent magnets. The capacity will be allocated to five beneficiaries selected through a global competitive bidding process, with each beneficiary eligible for up to 1,200 MTPA.
"The Scheme, a first-of-its-kind initiative, aims to establish a total capacity of 6,000 Metric Tons Per Annum (MTPA) of integrated Rare Earth Permanent Magnet manufacturing facilities in India," the ministry noted.
The Union Cabinet had approved the scheme in November 2025 with an outlay of Rs 7,280 crore, while the Ministry of Heavy Industries floated the request for proposal in March this year. The deadline for submitting bids was August 12 and technical bids were opened on Thursday in the presence of bidders.
Rare earth permanent magnets are critical components used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, high-end electronics, aerospace and defence systems. The government is seeking to build an integrated domestic supply chain covering production from neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide to finished magnets.
"By building a complete value chain from NdPr oxide to finished magnets in India, the Scheme is expected to significantly reduce import dependence in this sector," the ministry said.
The scheme will run for seven years from the date of award, including a two-year period for setting up manufacturing facilities and five years for incentive disbursement on the sale of rare earth permanent magnets.
The government expects domestic manufacturing under the programme to strengthen the supply of critical magnets to industries including electric mobility, renewable energy, electronics and defence.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative, but I hope the selection process is transparent and the incentives actually reach the right players. We've seen many schemes look great on paper but struggle with implementation. Also, 6,000 MTPA might not be enough if we want to become a global hub. Let's see how this plays out.
This is what we need - moving up the value chain rather than just exporting raw minerals. The defence and aerospace applications alone make this critical. Proud to see Indian companies stepping up. Jai Hind! 🚀
Good to see Attero Recycling in the list too - we need circular economy in rare earths, not just mining. But I do wonder about the environmental impact of NdPr processing. Hope the facilities follow strict environmental norms. Balanced approach needed.
20 bids is a good response, but why is Coal India bidding for magnets? 😄 Diversification is fine, but I hope the core players get preference. Anyway, the fact that global players like NEO Performance Materials and Proterial are also bidding shows India's growing importance in this space.
The seven-year timeline makes sense - building an integrated supply chain from NdPr oxide to finished magnets isn't easy. But we need to ensure these magnets are affordable for Indian EV manufacturers. Otherwise domestic production won't translate to lower prices for consumers. That's my only concern.
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