

Rare risks, real lessons: How China’s 2025 moves jolted India’s auto industry
Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected].New Delhi: From the boardrooms of Mumbai to the policy corridors of Delhi, executives began huddling early this year over a little-known but indispensable component found in virtually every vehicle on the road: rare-earth magnets.When China imposed a ban on these materials in April 2025, not many were aware of the critical role these magnets played.
For nearly a month, automakers paused key decisions assuming Beijing's move was only temporary. However, China's refusal to relax export licensing for these magnets sent a shiver through the auto sector, exposing its vulnerability.What makes rare-earth magnets especially crucial in geo-economics is that China, the world’s second-largest economy, accounts for about 60% of global rare-earth mining, and almost 90% of the refining and processing needed to convert them into magnets, used extensively in the automobile, renewable energy and consumer electronics sectors.This crisis worked as a wake-up call for automakers and policymakers —that one of the country's most critical manufacturing sectors can be crippled.While automakers were already under stress due to China's chokehold on rare-earth supplies, fresh concerns emerged after Beijing restricted exports of chips sold to automakers by Nexperia in Europe.
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