How Indian Startups are Trying to Overcome China’s Rare Earth Squeeze

As China tightens its grip on rare earth exports, India's automotive industry—long reliant on the flow of high-performance materials from its northern neighbor—is making a hard  pivot. A host of startups are rushing to develop magnet-free electric motor technologies or engineered substitutes to stave off supply shocks. The moves come at a juncture when India’s electric vehicle (EV) sector is poised for exponential growth and rare earth magnet inventories potentially drying up by mid-July.

Experts suggest that inventories of Indian auto companies for certain automotive applications that are dependent on rare earth supplies might be depleted by mid-July. According to ...