Vulnerabilities in the supply chain and exposing manufacturers to geopolitical and economic risks.

Traditionally, high-performance electric motors—especially those used in electric vehicles (EVs), drones, industrial machinery, and wind turbines—rely on permanent magnets made from rare earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium. These materials offer strong magnetic fields in compact sizes, making them highly efficient. However, the global supply of rare earths is heavily concentrated in a few countries, particularly China, creating vulnerabilities in the supply chain and exposing manufacturers to geopolitical and economic risks.

This makes the search for rare-earth-free motor technologies both a technological challenge and a national imperative. Alternatives already exist and are gaining ground—such as induction motors, switched reluctance motors (SRMs), and synchronous reluctance motors, which can operate without rare earth magnets. The performance and efficiency of these motors can be optimized through advanced microelectronics and sophisticated control algorithms. This is where Indian engineers can play a transformative role. With India’s growing expertise in software engineering, embedded systems, and semiconductor design, there's a significant opportunity to lead in developing intelligent motor control systems that use sensor data, predictive algorithms, and adaptive control to match or even surpass the performance of magnet-based motors.

Such innovations not only reduce dependency on critical raw materials but also open doors for domestic manufacturing, cost competitiveness, and export potential. More importantly, they align with national goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), where deep-tech innovation becomes the backbone of next-generation industries. Thus, instead of being locked into global dependencies for rare earths, India can leapfrog into a leadership position by combining material innovation with indigenous expertise in smart electronics and algorithm-driven motor control.