---
title: "Tomtor vs Sanctions: How India and Russia are Building an Alliance in Rare Earth Metals"
description: "🇷🇺🇮🇳 Russia and India are discussing joint mining of rare earth metals at the Tomtor deposit. 🌍 This is a step towards reducing dependence on China and finding new partners under sanctions. 🔥 Russia's oil sector is under attack due to drone strikes. #RareEarthMetals #RussiaIndia #Sanctions"
date: 2026-06-17T03:26:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/tomtor-vs-sanctions-how-india-and-russia-are-building-an-alliance-in-rare-earth-metals
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Tomtor vs Sanctions: How India and Russia are Building an Alliance in Rare Earth Metals

Amid a global restructuring of economic ties, Russia and India are taking their cooperation to a new level. At the center of attention is one of the world's largest rare earth metal deposits: Tomtor in Yakutia. The Kremlin has offered New Delhi access to this strategic resource, and the Indian state-owned mining company IREL is already conducting confidential negotiations with the Russian oil giant Rosneft.

### Negotiations on the Edge of Geopolitics

The parties are discussing the transfer of ore samples from the Arctic deposit. The material will first be processed in Russia, then sent to India for in-depth analysis of the mineral composition. Only after this will New Delhi decide whether to invest billions in the joint project.

For India, this is a chance to reduce dependence on China, which currently dominates the mining and processing of rare earth metals. For Russia, it is an opportunity to find new ways to develop resource projects under sanctions.

### Control over Tomtor

Control over the deposit passed to Rosneft last year. The Russian government has stepped up efforts to extract critically important raw materials. Rare earth metals are the heart of modern industry. Without them, it is impossible to create powerful permanent magnets necessary for electronics, energy, and the defense sector.

### India: Reserves are there, technology is not

India has huge reserves of rare earth metals of its own — the third largest in the world. However, the country still lacks the technology to produce magnets, which is a serious gap in the economy. Cooperation with Russia could help close this gap.

### IREL's Global Ambitions

IREL is not limited to Russia alone. The company is actively studying projects in other regions: Argentina, Australia, and Malawi. The Indian side is also discussing partnerships with Japanese and South Korean firms. This indicates New Delhi's desire to diversify sources of raw materials and technology.

### Coal and Oil: New Areas of Cooperation

Russia is offering more than just metals. Indian state-owned companies SAIL and NMDC are considering the possibility of acquiring Russian coal assets. This is another step towards deepening economic ties between the two countries.

### Russia's Oil Sector Under Attack

The situation in Russia's oil sector is particularly difficult. Due to successful attacks by Ukrainian drones, many refineries have been damaged, leading to huge problems in the fuel market. Every fourth gas station on the territory of the aggressor could impose a limit on gasoline sales.

Literally the day before, the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully struck a refinery in Moscow. It is located just 15 km from the Kremlin and supplies 35% of the capital's fuel market. These events highlight the vulnerability of Russian infrastructure and the need to find new partners and technologies.

### Conclusion

Cooperation between Russia and India in the field of rare earth metals and other resources is not just an economic step. It is a strategic maneuver in the context of global restructuring. Both countries are looking for new ways to develop, and their partnership could become one of the key factors in shaping the new economic map of the world.