India’s Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM) has now moved from “policy intent” to an executable, Gazette-notified framework. The Ministry of Heavy Industries has notified the scheme on 15 December 2025 with a budgetary outlay of ₹7,280 crore and a target of creating 6,000 MTPA of integrated sintered NdFeB magnet manufacturing capacity through five beneficiaries selected via competitive bidding.
In Union Budget 2026 – 27, the policy direction has been reinforced through the announcement of Dedicated Rare Earth Corridors in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu to promote mining, processing, research, and manufacturing.
What is the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered REPM?
The notified scheme is a Government of India incentive program under Ministry of Heavy Industries to promote manufacturing of indigenously produced sintered NdFeB REPMs from NdPr oxide, with two supports: sales-linked incentive on magnets sold, and capital subsidy for setting up capacity.
Key design features that investors and existing manufacturers should note:
- Eligible Product and Integration Intent
The scheme is built around sintered NdFeB magnets manufactured from rare earth oxides (NdPr oxide) and explicitly describes the value chain as rare earth oxide to metal, metal to alloy, and alloy to magnet. - Capacity and Beneficiary Structure
Capacity is capped at 6,000 MTPA total and is to be allocated to five beneficiaries via a Global Tender Enquiry (GTE) and RFP. Each beneficiary can bid for 600 to 1,200 MTPA, in multiples of 100 MTPA. - Scheme Duration and Gestation
Total duration is 7 years, including 2 years gestation for setting up facilities and 5 years for incentive disbursement linked to sales. If first sale happens before completion of gestation, that additional period can also be eligible for sales-linked incentive over and above the 5-year duration.
Why has REPM Scheme been Launched now?
The scheme notification explicitly positions REPMs as a strategic input for downstream sectors including electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, defence and aerospace.
The notification also clarifies India’s current gap: while upstream capabilities exist in mining, separation and oxide refining, industrial-scale midstream capability (oxide to metal, metal to alloy, alloy to magnet) is a notable missing link, leading to continued import dependence for sintered NdFeB magnets.
A practical driver for policy credibility is the presence and role of IREL (India) Ltd. The notification states that IREL is the only company in India engaged in mining rare earth ores and refining into rare earth oxides, with NdPr oxide production capacity of 400 MTPA and stock of around 500 MT, enabling support for around 1,500 MTPA of REPM at present.
The REPM scheme has therefore been launched to:
- Reduce import dependence in a highly strategic input.
- Support India’s EV, renewable energy, electronics and defence manufacturing ambitions, including its Net Zero 2070 commitment.
- Build upstream resilience, so that future EV and semiconductor growth is not constrained by vulnerable magnet supply.
Several experts have described the initiative as “as critical as building fabs,” because it addresses the core materials needed by EVs and electronics, not just end products.
How can a company enter the REPM business under this scheme?

The REPM scheme is intended for large, technically and financially capable enterprises rather than small or general-purpose manufacturing units. It is structured as a global competitive bidding programme, not a walk-in subsidy scheme. Participation will therefore be limited to companies that can credibly set up and operate an integrated rare earth permanent magnet facility at industrial scale, covering the complete chain from oxides to finished sintered magnets and aligning with the scheme’s capacity band of up to 600 metric tonnes per annum per beneficiary.
The first step for any application is to closely monitor official announcements from the concerned ministries, which will publish the final scheme guidelines and the formal invitation for bids. Until that notification is issued, there is no mechanism to submit an application.
The pathway is now clear and bid-driven.
- Participate through Competitive Bidding
Capacity allocation is through a Least Cost System with a two-envelope process: technical bid followed by financial bid. Applicants submit a DPR in the technical bid demonstrating committed capacity and capability. - Who can Apply
Applicants can be a company, an international entity, or a consortium. For consortia, one member must be the Lead Partner with at least 51 percent shareholding in the beneficiary. If a consortium and/or foreign entity is allocated capacity, it must form an SPV under the Companies Act, 2013, which will be designated as the beneficiary. - Financial Bid Basis
The financial bid is the incentive sought in ₹ per kg of sintered NdFeB magnets sold, capped at ₹2,150/kg. Five technically qualified bids with the lowest incentive sought are selected (L1 to L5). - Performance Security
Selected beneficiaries must submit a Performance Bank Guarantee linked to allocated capacity: ₹20 crore (600 MTPA), ₹30 crore (700–900 MTPA), ₹40 crore (1,000–1,200 MTPA).
Also Read: How China’s Rare-Earth Magnet Export Ban is Threatening Global Automakers
Criteria for Selection under the Scheme
The document provides the core selection and evaluation mechanics under the scheme are as follows:
What will matter in practice:
- Capacity Band and Credible Integration
The scheme’s evaluation logic is anchored to integrated production capability across intermediate steps, not a narrow magnet finishing play. - Net Worth Thresholds
Minimum net worth is capacity-linked: 600 MTPA requires ₹180 crore, 700/800 requires ₹245 crore, 900/1,000 requires ₹310 crore, 1,100/1,200 requires ₹375 crore. - Financial Competitiveness
Because selection is by “lowest incentive sought” among technically qualified bidders, bid strategy is fundamentally a landed-cost and yield-driven decision. - Raw Material Plan and Risk Ownership
The scheme provides an assured limited supply of NdPr oxide only to L1, L2 and L3, totalling 500 MTPA (200, 167, 133 respectively). L4 and L5 must arrange the entire NdPr oxide requirement on their own.
Documents required for the Application
A generic list of documents that may be required for the application under the REPM Scheme is as follows:
- Corporate and financial information
A standard data pack covering incorporation documents, shareholding pattern, promoter and board details, and audited financials for recent years (including net worth and leverage). This establishes basic eligibility and financial strength.
- Detailed Project Report (DPR)
The DPR will be the heart of the application and is likely to include:
- The chosen technology route and process flow from oxides to finished REPMs
- Proposed capacity (up to 600 MTPA) and ramp-up profile
- Site selection rationale, land requirement, utility and logistics plan
- Capex and opex estimates, project schedule, organization structure and risk analysis
- Environmental, waste-management and EHS approach, including handling of any hazardous or radioactive by-products
- Technical Documentation
- Existing facilities and track record in magnets, advanced materials or related fields
- Technology licenses or firm MoUs with technology providers
- Collaborations with Indian R&D institutions or global partners in the REPM domain
- Compliance and clearance roadmap
- Compliance and Clearance Roadmap
- Environmental and pollution control approvals
- Land-related and local body clearances
- Any sector-specific safety approvals linked to rare earth processing and associated materials
- Scheme-specific undertakings
- Scheme-specific Undertakings
- The proposed capacity and seven-year timeline (two years for set-up, five for incentive-linked operations)
- Adherence to monitoring, reporting and audit requirements under the scheme
The detailed RFP will specify formats, but the scheme already indicates what will be verified and how incentives will be claimed, which effectively defines the evidence package you must build.
How Hmsa can help
If you are an EV OEM, auto component manufacturer, advanced materials company or investor considering entry into REPM manufacturing, Hmsa Consultancy can help you convert this policy opportunity into an investment-grade project. Our support typically spans:
- Translating scheme contours into a clear entry strategy and optimal capacity bid
- Designing an integrated technical and location blueprint, including partner shortlisting
- Preparing a bankable DPR / Project Report and advisory services aligned with both scheme and lender expectations
- Building robust financial models that quantify incentive impact, returns and risk sensitivities
- Structuring and compiling the complete bid package once guidelines are released, and mapping the EHS and regulatory clearance pathway
The objective is to ensure that you do not approach the REPM scheme merely as a subsidy application, but as a commercially viable, technically sound and compliance-ready investment in a strategically critical upstream segment.
Reference: REPM Scheme