Pic Credit: Pexel
Bhubaneswar, Odisha — The Central Government has identified Gopalpur in Odisha as a potential site for the development of a Rare Earth (RE) Corridor, following the announcement in the Union Budget 2026-27 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The corridor is part of a larger initiative to establish similar projects in four states across India.
Officials said a detailed assessment has been carried out by the Department of Atomic Energy to select suitable locations for the corridors. While sites in three other states have also been shortlisted, the site in Tamil Nadu is yet to be finalized. The meeting that marked these decisions also extensively discussed regulatory and environmental considerations for setting up the corridors.
Odisha’s government has allocated ₹10 crore in the current fiscal budget to support the development of the Rare Earth Corridor in the state. The corridor will leverage the region’s rich reserves of rare earth minerals, particularly in the stretch between Dhamra and Gopalpur in Ganjam district.
According to geological surveys, Odisha holds an estimated 3.16 million tonnes of monazite, a key rare earth mineral, out of India’s total reserves of 13.15 million tonnes. These deposits contain critical elements such as neodymium and praseodymium, which are essential for producing permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, aerospace components, and defense technologies.
The establishment of the Rare Earth Corridor in Gopalpur is expected to boost local economic activity while strengthening India’s capabilities in strategic and high-tech sectors dependent on rare earth materials.
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