Overview
- As of January 28, 2026, AMD estimates 136 beach sand deposits containing 13.15 million tonnes of monazite with about 7.23 million tonnes of in-situ REO across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
- Three hard-rock deposits in Rajasthan and Gujarat add an estimated 1.29 million tonnes of in-situ REO.
- AMD is actively exploring coastal and inland placer sands as well as hard-rock terrains across several potential geological domains.
- Monazite is classified as a prescribed substance due to uranium and thorium content, so mining, processing and refining remain under government control.
- Policy steps include MMDR Act 2023 changes enabling central auctions, 46 critical mineral blocks and seven exploration licences (two for rare earths), the National Critical Mineral Mission, and a Rs 7,280 crore scheme to create 6,000 MTPA of sintered magnet capacity, yet commercial output remains constrained by lean grades and limited midstream industry.