India Accelerates Alternative EV Motor Development Amid China’s Rare-Earth Export Curbs

New Delhi, Sep 9 (KNN) India is fast-tracking efforts to develop electric vehicle (EV) motors that do not rely on rare earth magnets, as China’s export restrictions threaten to disrupt supply chains.

At a laboratory in Faridabad, engineers at Sterling Gtake E-Mobility are testing advanced reluctance motors that replace rare-earth materials with tightly wound metal coils.

Seven leading automakers in India are currently evaluating these magnet-free motors. If successful, commercial rollout could begin within a year—well ahead of the earlier 2029 timeline.

In June, Sterling signed a licensing agreement with UK-based Advanced Electric Machines to bring this technology into domestic production.

China, which controls over 90% of global rare earth processing, imposed export curbs in April, partly in retaliation to U.S. tariffs.

While Beijing later relaxed restrictions for the U.S. and Europe, India remains excluded due to unresolved diplomatic frictions. This has intensified challenges for the country’s EV industry, which had pending applications for rare earth imports.

To counter this, Indian firms such as Sona Comstar, Chara Technologies, and Conifer are developing alternatives using ferrite magnets, lighter rare earths, and magnet-free solutions.

At the same time, the Indian government is preparing new incentives for domestic mining and processing of critical minerals. Talks are also underway with Japanese and South Korean companies to enhance supply security.

The push highlights India’s determination to reduce its reliance on Chinese supply chains and strengthen its EV ecosystem at a time when global demand for clean mobility solutions is accelerating.

(KNN Bureau)