Indian Rare Earths
IREL (India) Limited is a Government of India PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy that mines beach sand minerals (ilmenite, rutile, zircon, garnet, sillimanite) and refines separated high-purity rare earth oxides for industrial buyers, nuclear energy programs, and global export via its statutory canalisation role.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1950
- HeadquartersMumbai, India
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Indian Rare Earths does
IREL (India) Limited, commonly known as Indian Rare Earths Limited, is a wholly government-owned Miniratna Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India, headquartered in Mumbai and founded in 1950. The company extracts and processes heavy mineral sands (ilmenite, rutile, zircon, garnet, sillimanite) from coastal beach deposits at three operating units — Odisha Sands Complex (OSCOM) in Chatrapur, Chavara Mineral Division in Kerala, and Manavalakurichi Mineral Division in Tamil Nadu — and runs a downstream rare earth refining pipeline through the Rare Earth Extraction Plant at OSCOM and the Rare Earths Division at Aluva, producing high-purity separated oxides of Lanthanum, Cerium, Nd-Pr, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium, and Yttrium at 99%+ purity alongside Mixed Rare Earth Chloride, Tri-Sodium Phosphate, and Thorium Nitrate. Technology spans physical separation (magnetic, electrostatic, gravity), monazite processing via the sulphuric acid route, solvent extraction, and nano-rare-earth materials development at IRERC/IRELTDC.
IREL makes money by selling processed mineral products and rare earth chemicals to industrial buyers under negotiated unit pricing — domestic customers include TiO2 pigment producers, welding electrode manufacturers, ceramic and refractory industries, foundries and abrasives users, rare earth compound manufacturers, and detergent/water-treatment buyers, while the Department of Atomic Energy takes thorium and strategic rare earth outputs for India's nuclear energy program. Exports of ilmenite, rutile, zircon, garnet, and sillimanite are conducted through IREL's statutory role as the canalising agency for all Beach Sand Minerals exports from India, with private producers required to register and undergo due diligence through IREL. FY2023-24 turnover was INR 20,248.97 million (~USD 240-245M) with an export component of approximately INR 9,625.82 million, and the company has been continuously profit-making since FY1997-98. IREL is pursuing downstream integration into Rare Earth Permanent Magnet manufacturing (Visakhapatnam REPM plant tied to the Cabinet-approved Rs 7,280 crore NdFeB magnet scheme), offshore critical mineral partnerships under the Quad initiative and bilateral deals with Australia, Argentina, and Brazil, and domestic joint ventures with state-level mining entities (TAMIN, IREL-IDCOL).
Indian Rare Earths firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Indian Rare Earths
- Legal name
- IREL (India) Limited
- Website
- https://irel.co.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1950
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- IREL (India) Limited is a Government of India PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy that mines beach sand minerals (ilmenite, rutile, zircon, garnet, sillimanite) and refines separated high-purity rare earth oxides for industrial buyers, nuclear energy programs, and global export via its statutory canalisation role.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Indian Rare Earths industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mineral Sand Processing and Rare Earth Refining
- NAICS
- Other Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying (212390), Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992), All Other Miscellaneous Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (327999)
- SIC
- Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330), Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rare Earths Separation & Refining (Oxides/Metals) (IMAKAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Rare Earths Mining & Concentrates (REE Ores) (IMAKAFAG)
Keywords
Where Indian Rare Earths is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mumbai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices9 records
Markets served
Indian Rare Earths business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Mineral Product Sales: Sale of processed beach sand minerals including Ilmenite (50-60% TiO2), Rutile (>94% TiO2), Zircon (64.5-65.5% ZrO2), Sillimanite (58% Al2O3), and Garnet. Annual sales turnover for 2023-24 exceeded INR 2024.897 million with export component of approximately INR 9625.82 million.
- Rare Earth Chemicals: Sale of rare earth products including Mixed Rare Earth Chloride, separated high-purity rare earth oxides, Thorium Nitrate, and Tri-Sodium Phosphate produced at OSCOM and Rare Earths Division Aluva.
- Canalisation Services: IREL acts as canalising agency for all Beach Sand Minerals exports from India, facilitating private producers' exports through due diligence and verification processes.
- Technology Development: R&D services and technology development through IRELTDC (IREL Technology Development Council) in partnership with CSIR, IITs, and national laboratories.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk mineral products sold to industrial buyers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rare Earth Products |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Indian Rare Earths product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IREL (India) Limited mines and processes beach sand minerals (Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon, Garnet, Sillimanite) at coastal operating units in Odisha, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, and processes monazite to produce separated high-purity rare earth oxides (99%+), Mixed Rare Earth Chloride, Tri-Sodium Phosphate, and Thorium Nitrate. The company is the Government of India's canalising agency for all Beach Sand Mineral exports and supplies strategic thorium and rare earth materials to the Department of Atomic Energy.
Product overview
IREL operates as a multi-product portfolio of mineral mining, processing, and rare earth refining operations under the Department of Atomic Energy. The company extracts and processes heavy mineral sands (Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon, Garnet, Sillimanite) from coastal beach sand deposits at three main operating units: OSCOM in Odisha, Chavara Mineral Division in Kerala, and Manavalakurichi Mineral Division in Tamil Nadu. These mineral products feed into TiO2 pigment, welding, ceramics, refractories, and water treatment industries. IREL further processes monazite ore to produce rare earth compounds including Cerium Carbonate, Lanthanum Carbonate, Nd-Pr Oxalate/Oxide, and Rare Earth Chloride through its Rare Earth Extraction Plant at OSCOM, with final refining to high-purity rare earth oxides conducted at the Rare Earths Division in Aluva. Chemical products include Tri-Sodium Phosphate and Thorium Nitrate. The company is also developing Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM) manufacturing capability at Visakhapatnam and has established a Rare Earth and Titanium Theme Park in Bhopal for technology demonstration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IREL Connect & Inspire: Internship scheme for industry-academia interaction
- Rare Earths Permanent Magnet (REPM)
Products and services
- Ilmenite Titaniferous mineral (FeTiO3) with TiO2 content of 50-60%, sold in bulk to TiO2 pigment producers, synthetic rutile manufacturers, and producers of TiO2 slag, titanium sponge for aerospace parts, artificial limbs, and golf clubs.
- Rutile Titanium-bearing mineral (TiO2) with over 94% TiO2 content, sold to titanium dioxide pigment manufacturers, titanium sponge producers, and welding electrode coating manufacturers.
- Zircon Zirconium silicate (ZrSiO4) with ZrO2 content of 64.5-65.5%, sold to ceramic tile and sanitary ware manufacturers, refractory producers, zirconium chemicals makers, and nuclear reactor fuel rod cladding producers.
- Garnet Almandine garnet [Fe3Al2(SiO4)3] available in rough (30-60 mesh), common (60-100 mesh), and medium (50-100 mesh) grades, sold for sandblasting, water jet cutting, grinding wheels, water filtration, and glass polishing applications.
- Sillimanite Alumino-silicate mineral (Al2SiO5) with 58% Al2O3 content, sold for producing refractories used in metal and alloy industries and for ceramic manufacturing.
- Cerium Carbonate 2N Rare earth carbonate with 99% purity on REO basis, sold to metallurgy, glass and glass polishing, ceramics, catalysts, and phosphor industries.
- Lanthanum Carbonate Rare earth carbonate with 99% purity on REO basis, sold for fluid cracking catalysts, glass, ceramics, alloys, and battery applications.
- Nd-Pr Oxalate/Oxide Neodymium-Praseodymium oxalate/oxide with 99.9% purity on REO basis (Nd2O3 70-85%, Pr6O11 15-30%), sold for producing rare earth metals and alloys for rare earth permanent magnet production destined for EVs, wind turbines, and defence electronics.
- Rare Earth Chloride Mixed rare earth chloride sold as feed material for separation of rare earth elements, alloy production, and pigments.
- Tri-Sodium Phosphate Chemical (Na3PO4:12H2O) with P2O5 minimum 17.50% as per IS 573:1992, sold as cleaning agent in power plants, refineries, steel plants, fertilizer plants, and for detergents, water treatment, and textile processing.
- Thorium Nitrate Thorium compound sold for gas mantle production.
Quantifiable outcome
- India holds world's 3rd largest rare earth reserves at 6.9 million tonnes
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Indian Rare Earths
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Indian Rare Earths technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Indian Rare Earths partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and major.
- Coal India Ltd (BCCL)strategicCoal India Ltd through its subsidiary BCCL is exploring rare earth mining partnerships across Australia, Russia, Argentina, Chile, and Africa with collaboration involving IREL, Khanij Bidesh India, and Hindustan Copper to diversify India's critical mineral supply chains.
- United States Government (US Bureau of Industry & Security)coreUS removed IREL from Entity List in January 2025, enabling advanced energy cooperation and critical mineral supply chain collaboration. Delisting enables IREL to work with US agencies on rare earth and critical mineral processing technologies including lithium, titanium, gallium, and vanadium. This marks significant diplomatic breakthrough after restrictions since India's nuclear tests in 1998.
- TAMIN (Tamil Nadu Minerals Ltd)coreIREL-TAMIN Limited joint venture established on 28 June 2024 for extraction of mineral sand deposits in Tamil Nadu. Survey work completed for identified reserves in Kanniyakumari district area. Joint venture aims to expand mining across approximately 1,144 hectares at Inayam-Midalam.
- IDCOL (Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd)majorIREL-IDCOL Ltd joint venture with Odisha Mining Corporation for establishment of new integrated mining and mineral processing plant in Puri district, Odisha for coastal sand mineral deposits.
- Quad Critical Minerals InitiativecoreQuad partnership with US, Australia, and Japan including $20 billion investment commitment for critical minerals supply chain development. Part of India's strategy to reduce dependence on China for rare earths and critical minerals.
- BrazilstrategicBilateral deal with Brazil on critical minerals as part of India's accelerated rare earth self-reliance strategy.
- Australiacore2022 agreement identifying five target projects for lithium and cobalt investment. Australia has emerged as reliable partner with active cooperation. Part of India-Australia critical minerals partnership.
- ArgentinastrategicKABIL-CAMYEN SE deal with Argentina for lithium mining. India deepening engagement with Latin America for critical mineral supply chains.
- BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre)coreBARC-developed laboratory-scale technologies used at IREL's Rare Earth Theme Park in Bhopal for demonstration of rare earth metal and titanium production. Technology basis for experimental and mini-plants.
- CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)majorIRELTDC coordinates with CSIR, IITs, and other national laboratories for R&D projects in strategic and non-strategic areas under DAE. Multiple joint research projects ongoing through IREL Technology Development Council.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Indian Rare Earths competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kenmare Resources: Irish-listed mineral sands producer operating the Moma mine in Mozambique, producing ilmenite, rutile, zircon, and monazite concentrate - directly comparable heavy mineral sands product mix.
- Iluka Resources: Australian mineral sands producer mining ilmenite, rutile, zircon, and monazite, with a dedicated rare earth refinery under development at Eneabba - directly comparable product portfolio and downstream rare earth strategy to IREL's beach sand operations.
- Base Resources: Australian mineral sands producer (Kwale in Kenya, Toliara in Madagascar) mining ilmenite, rutile, zircon - directly comparable beach-sand mineral sands miner with similar product portfolio to IREL.
- Lynas Rare Earths: Australian integrated rare earth miner and processor (Mt Weld mine + Kalgoorlie + Malaysia separation facility) producing separated rare earth oxides including NdPr - the closest publicly listed analogue to IREL's monazite-to-separated-oxide business model.
- Shenghe Resources: Chinese rare earth processor with integrated mining, separation, and downstream applications - one of China's state-linked rare earth champions and a global benchmark for what an integrated national rare earth platform looks like at scale.
- MP Materials: US-based rare earth miner and processor operating the Mountain Pass mine, the only scaled US rare earth producer - comparable vertically integrated mining-to-oxide model with government strategic alignment.
- Energy Fuels: US-based uranium and rare earth processor that recovered monazite for rare earth oxide production - comparable monazite-to-REE processing capability, with overlapping uranium exposure from monazite.
- Tronox Holdings: Vertically integrated mineral sands miner (ilmenite, rutile, zircon) and TiO2 pigment producer - directly comparable mineral sands feedstock business to IREL's ilmenite/rutile/zircon operations.
Broad incumbents
- China Northern Rare Earth Group: State-owned dominant Chinese rare earth producer controlling Inner Mongolia light rare earth feedstock and processing - represents the incumbent IREL is positioning India against in the global supply chain.
- Chemours: US-listed TiO2 and fluoroproducts major with mineral sands mining operations - comparable industrial minerals-to-specialty-chemicals vertical model though at much larger scale than IREL.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Indian Rare Earths social profiles
Digital presenceIndian Rare Earths compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance14 records
Indian Rare Earths financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Indian Rare Earths leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Indian Rare Earths subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Indian Rare Earths funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Indian Rare Earths M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Indian Rare Earths
What does Indian Rare Earths do?
IREL (India) Limited mines and processes beach sand minerals (Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon, Garnet, Sillimanite) at coastal operating units in Odisha, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, and processes monazite to produce separated high-purity rare earth oxides (99%+), Mixed Rare Earth Chloride, Tri-Sodium Phosphate, and Thorium Nitrate. The company is the Government of India's canalising agency for all Beach Sand Mineral exports and supplies strategic thorium and rare earth materials to the Department of Atomic Energy.
Is Indian Rare Earths a public or private company?
Indian Rare Earths is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Indian Rare Earths founded?
Indian Rare Earths was founded in 1950. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Indian Rare Earths based?
Indian Rare Earths is headquartered in Mumbai, India, in the Asia region.
How does Indian Rare Earths make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Mineral Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are rare Earth Chemicals, canalisation Services and technology Development.
Who are Indian Rare Earths's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kenmare Resources, Iluka Resources, Base Resources, Lynas Rare Earths, Shenghe Resources, MP Materials, Energy Fuels and Tronox Holdings. Broad incumbents are China Northern Rare Earth Group and Chemours.
Does Indian Rare Earths have an API?
No public API is recorded for Indian Rare Earths.
What industry is Indian Rare Earths in?
Indian Rare Earths's product category is Mineral Sand Processing and Rare Earth Refining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAFAH, Rare Earths Separation & Refining (Oxides/Metals), with a secondary code of IMAKAFAG, Rare Earths Mining & Concentrates (REE Ores). Its NAICS code is 212390 and its SIC code is 3330.