India: State-owned GMDC in talks with 60 companies for critical minerals hub in Bharuch 

• GMDC developing Ambadungar REE deposit in Chhota Udepur district
• Project expected to boost development of RE processing hubs in country

The Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) is in advanced discussions with nearly 60 large companies to set up facilities at its proposed rare earth processing hub in Bharuch district of Gujarat.

State-run GMDC is developing India’s largest rare earth elements (REE) project, the Ambadungar REE deposit in Chhota Udepur district. The rare earth mined there will be processed at a separation plant in Bharuch to produce high purity light rare earth oxides – Nd (Neodymium ), Pr (Praseodynium), La (Lanthanum), and Ce (Cerium) – used in rare earth magnets among other applications.

Speaking at a Ministry of Mines event, GMDC Managing Director Roopwant Singh, said while GMDC is setting up the anchor REE plant, it is inviting downstream and midstream companies across the value chain to establish units within this REE processing hub.

“We are creating a world-class estate in which only the anchor plant will be owned by GMDC. There will be space for others – friends, allies, partners – to come and set up their own plants. After all, GMDC is a mining company; it will process the mineral only up to a certain level. To make metal out of it, magnet out of it, for those partners we are creating space and have already had talks with them. In fact, we have conversations at an advanced stage with around 60 serious players,” said Singh. The hub will also offer research facilities, and an opportunity for companies to learn from one another, he added.

Downstream hub

The state miner has sought expressions of interest (EOI) from developers for this downstream hub. The deadline for the same is 20, January, 2026. The chosen developer will carry out detailed engineering, construct trunk infrastructure, and provide common utilities, in addition to installing environmental protection systems and creating shared facilities to ensure operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. The National Critical Mineral Mission provides for four processing plants and GMDC will apply for support under the scheme.

Bharuch was chosen, says Singh, because it is already a chemical processing industry, and offers complimentary skilled manpower and ecosystem, which is a natural advantage.

Developing processing ecosystem

India isn’t unique in lacking critical mineral processing technologies, which are controlled by China globally, and pretty much across the minerals. Singh, in his presentation to colleagues and ministry officials, pointed out China’s dominant position had been achieved with focussed, strategic moves over more than a generation.

Despite the “aggressive approach” GMDC was taking to develop the Ambadungar REE deposit, production will only start in 2028-29. Singh pointed out that while the state was given the site’s geological data by the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) in 2024, (effectively transferring control of the project to GMDC), exploration work had begun back in 2014-15. “The projects journey was already more than a decade”.

Singh noted that mining projects globally, including in Europe or the US, had long gestation periods. In India’s case, despite the best intention, a non-linear clearance process, involving regulatory and environmental permits takes time.

While the world – waking up to China’s dangerous monopoly – rushed to secure independent supplies for these indispensable minerals and metals, China had actually increased its share in many areas of critical mineral processing.

Singh believes India has the ability, skills and resources to set up a sufficient processing capacity for its needs, but India would need to emulate – the PPP and hub and spoke model China adopts. And GMDC’s REE hub is a step in that direction.

GMDC taps BARC for indigenous processing technology

In terms of processing engineering, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has recently transferred an indigenously developed technology to GMDC for the extraction of mixed rare earth concentrate (MREC) from the Ambadungar hard-rock ankeritic ore. GMDC plans to deploy the technology initially at the pilot scale basis to validate processes, optimise recovery, and assess environmental performance before advancing the project to subsequent stages.