APMDC has already secured 1,000 hectares of sandy beach between Bheemunipatnam in Visakhapatnam district and Gara mandal in Srikakulam, where the developer and operator of the project is pilot mining. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO / DEEPAK KR
Andhra Pradesh (AP) is well positioned to become a key link in India’s strategic mineral supply chain in the foreseeable future due to the presence of vast amounts of rare earth minerals (REMs) in the beach sands along its 1,053 kilometer coastline.
The state has these mineral deposits spread over about 16,000 hectares, of which excellent quality minerals have been identified mainly in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts.
In this context, the announcement of the central government’s support in the Union Budget 2026 for the development of rare earth corridors (RECs) in four southern states, including AP, has come as a boon, AP Mineral Development Corporation Vice Chairman and Managing Director Pravin Kumar told The Hindu in an exclusive interview on Friday.
He said that 30% of the country’s monazite deposits are located in AP and that many minerals are at an advanced stage of exploration under the regulatory supervision of the Directorate of Atomic Minerals (AMD) of the Ministry of Atomic Energy and with the operational expertise of IREL India Ltd (formerly Indian Rare Earths Limited).
AP is all set to change gears in exploration of high-value minerals, especially monazite and ilmenite, and their processing for various commercial applications by leveraging central support, Mr. Pravin Kumar said, adding that APMDC has already secured 1,000 hectares of beach sand area between Bheemunipatnam in Visakhapatnam district and project operator Srik in Garakulamdal for mining. basis. APMDC received a rare earth mineral exploration nomination for an additional 5,000 acres and was well on its way.
In addition, a large amount of ilmenite has been found, from which downstream titanium-based products can be made. A total of 17 types of minerals and rare earth metals have been identified along the coast and these have the potential to make AP a major supplier once all the necessary permits are in place in a few years.
Some of this goes into the production of rare earth permanent magnets (REPMs), which are in high demand in renewable energy, aerospace, defense and electronics.
RECs in AP, Odisha, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are expected to provide significant support to the REPM generation scheme. There are plans to set up titanium based industrial clusters, said Mr. Pravin Kumar.
APMDC is awaiting instructions regarding RECs to aggressively start mining activities. Before that, steps are being taken to get permission to be ready from the state government.
Published – 06 Feb 2026 19:57 IST
