Dear friends,

REE are exotic materials and are essential for diverse products across wide range of applications such as High-tech electronics, electric and hybrid vehicles, monitors, televisions, defense applications, guidance systems lasers etc. The amount of REE used in these products may be minuscule by weight or volume but they are essential for relatively superior functions of the product. REEs are catalytic materials used for enhancing the performance. However, their values can only be realized by alloying them or using them in compounded form with other materials. Thus, after refining it becomes an inter-disciplinary subject.

In India source of the rare earth in Monazite occurring in BSM source. By virtue of the natural occurrence of such resources, the plants are pivotally located at the coastal stretches of eastern and southern peninsular India. Since these minerals are associated with the three ‘G’s namely Grain size, Geology and Geography, this automatically lead to a burgeoning of grades for each of the minerals and this multiplicity of grades in the mineral basket poses challenges of positioning of the product in the market place of bulk industrial minerals.

Each of these minerals & REEs find application in diverse fields necessitating a distinct and unique approach. Besides, flow sheet requirement for all such geographical locations along with skill level to separate the minerals and extract REEs at universally acceptable recovery rate and improved purity are also distinct. IREL products are finding niche application in almost all aspects of day to day life. Major sectors that propel and drive IREL forward are sectors pertaining to Nuclear Power reactors, aircraft parts, architectural coating (paint & pigments), infrastructure (steel, welding electrodes, refractories), real estate (tiles, sanitary ware, paint) crude oil & petroleum (well drilling, surface preparation & machining) and other life style products. Though the volume of consumption of the minerals is low, they contribute in a big way towards enhancing the quality of life.

A team of experienced and talented workforce has stood up to the challenges of dynamic change in the industrial scenario from time to time and helped the Company to effectively adapt to the change. IREL today is one amongst the leading public sector undertakings involved in export in spite of minerals having low volume consumption globally. Further, it is expected that infrastructure and other projects would get a boost due to the make in India initiative of the Government of India which would lead to increased demand for host of minerals and chemicals being produced by the Company.

To sum up, IREL stands as an iconic CPSE contributing to the strategic need of the country while meeting commercial objectives through sustainable business model.

(Dr. D. Singh)