India and Myanmar are working to strengthen cooperation in rare earths and critical minerals after Indian teams visited Myanmar, according to reports. At a mining forum in Mandalay, India’s ambassador to Myanmar, Abhay Thakur, says bilateral engagement on mining has accelerated over the past two years. He points to visits by Indian delegations in December 2024 and February 2026 focused on rare earths and critical minerals. The cooperation is also said to have been discussed at high levels during an official visit by Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing to India in May–June, when he transitioned from junta leader to president.
The reporting links the effort to India’s interest in securing supplies of a strategic resource that is heavily dominated by China, which processes rare earths used in magnets for electric vehicles and wind turbines. One Myanmar region highlighted is Kachin state, where mines supply much of the world’s heavy rare earths. Reuters has previously reported India sought rare-earth samples via the Kachin Independence Army, which controls key mining hubs near the Chinese border, and that discussions involved firms including India’s IREL and Midwest Advanced Materials.
