Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd. (GMDC), a Government of Gujarat enterprise, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NMDC Limited, a Navratna public sector undertaking under the Government of India, to explore opportunities for collaboration in the Rare Earth Elements (REE) sector.
The proposed collaboration will focus on assessing the development of an integrated rare earth value chain in Gujarat, covering exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing and potential downstream applications. The engagement is expected to primarily examine opportunities associated with GMDC’s Ambadungar Rare Earth deposit in Gujarat.
Under the MoU, the two public sector companies will jointly evaluate possibilities for technical collaboration, project development and potential business structures in the rare earth domain. The partnership is also expected to enable knowledge exchange, technical assessments and coordinated efforts to advance rare earth resource development.
The initiative forms part of GMDC’s broader roadmap to develop the Ambadungar deposit, where the corporation has been progressing on resource utilisation, indigenous processing capabilities and pilot-stage technology validation initiatives.
The collaboration aligns with India’s broader policy focus on strengthening domestic capabilities in critical minerals and reducing import dependence. Rare earth elements are key inputs for sectors such as clean energy technologies, advanced manufacturing and strategic industries.
