Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 5: India has intensified efforts to secure rare earth minerals from northern Myanmar as New Delhi seeks to diversify critical mineral supplies and reduce dependence on China, according to a report by Myanmar-based publication Mizzima.
The report said India is pursuing multiple bilateral arrangements with Myanmar to procure rare earths and has stepped up high-level engagement between the two countries on the issue. The discussions form part of wider cooperation covering critical minerals, trade, security and connectivity.
Both governments discussed deeper cooperation in these areas in June 2026 during talks in New Delhi between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing. The engagement, according to the report, drew on longstanding historical, cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
India’s Ambassador to Myanmar also said in July that rare-earth cooperation had received attention at the highest levels. The Mizzima report described the engagement as providing fresh momentum to cooperation in mining and minerals, including rare earths and other critical minerals, through technical exchanges, business partnerships and capacity-building initiatives.
Myanmar’s expanding output has increased the importance of its mineral reserves. The country has recorded a sharp rise in rare earth production and has become the world’s third-largest producer of these minerals, according to the report.
The development comes as China tightens controls on critical mineral exports, prompting India to view Myanmar’s deposits as a potentially important strategic alternative. The report said this has contributed to renewed momentum in bilateral mining cooperation since 2024.
However, significant challenges could complicate efforts to develop and transport Myanmar’s rare earth resources. Much of the mineral wealth in northern Myanmar is located in landlocked, rugged and conflict-affected areas, where extraction and transportation infrastructure remains weak.
Control over some mineral-rich areas also remains with ethnic armed groups, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which is engaged in conflict with Myanmar’s military. These conditions present substantial logistical and operational challenges to deeper mineral cooperation.
The report called for India to strengthen engagement with the Myanmar administration while expanding commercial, logistical and technical cooperation in the mining sector.
The efforts also align with India’s National Critical Mineral Mission, which seeks to strengthen supplies needed for the green energy transition and national security. The mission covers critical inputs for solar photovoltaic cells, wind-turbine magnets, electric-vehicle batteries and advanced defence technologies.
