Missing measure in India’s magnet mission
India's push for industrial self-reliance in high-tech manufacturing is hindered by a lack of a comprehensive strategy for the permanent magnet supply chain. Despite initiatives like the National Critical Mineral Mission, the country remains vulnerable to global export controls on rare-earth materials.
Why it matters
Permanent magnets are essential for energy transition and advanced manufacturing, making supply chain security a critical national interest for India.
M ost Indians know the parable of several blind men trying to describe an elephant. One touches its trunk and believes it is a snake. Another feels its leg and insists it is a pillar. None is entirely wrong, yet none sees the whole animal.
India’s strategy for advancing its cutting-edge technologies, aimed at becoming a global manufacturing leader, carries the risk of making a similar mistake. From EV motors and semiconductor fabrication facilities to precision manufacturing machineries, at the heart of each lies an unassuming component: the high-performance permanent magnet. They serve as the silent operating system of industrial acceleration.
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