According to industry group ELCINA, China’s export restrictions on rare earth metals are putting over 21,000 jobs in India’s audio electronics sector at risk.
China imposed stringent export licensing regulations on rare earth elements, such as dysprosium and terbium, in April.
China’s Rare Earth Export Curbs Threaten Over 21,000 Jobs in India’s Audio Electronics Sector
For the production of high-performance NdFeB (Neodymium-Iron-Boron) magnets used in consumer electronics, these components are essential.
According to ELCINA, this action has had a major impact on India’s expanding wearables and hearables market as well as upsetting global supply chains.
As a result, rather than making parts locally, many device manufacturers are fully assembled speaker modules from China.
ELCINA states, “This creates a regressive trend—from component manufacturing back to finished good imports dependency.”
In the manufacturing of speakers and audio components, particularly in Noida and South India, there are currently between 5,000 and 6,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs at risk.
About 5–7% of the bill of materials for these products is composed of magnets based on rare earth metals.
India Depends on China for 90% of NdFeB Magnets as Supply Cuts Drive Prices Up
Nearly all of India’s NdFeB magnets are imported, with 90% coming from China.
ELCINA pointed out that fewer supplies and fewer bureaucratic red tape have caused Chinese magnet prices to soar.
Other suppliers, such as the US, Japan, and the EU, are two to three times more expensive and cannot produce enough to satisfy India’s expanding demands.
Rare earth magnets are crucial to TV production, particularly for small, high-performance speakers, according to Videotex, a company that manufactures televisions.
“As the country remains heavily reliant on imports for these components, this presents a clear challenge. However, the specific impact on the television manufacturing segment is expected to be relatively limited,” said Arjun Bajaj, Director of Videotex.
In order to maintain production continuity, he continued, Videotex is collaborating with suppliers to guarantee adequate stock for the forthcoming season.
Videotex produces televisions for more than 25 companies, including Toshiba, Vijay Sales, Havells (Lloyd), and Reliance Group (BPL & Reconnect).
“Additionally, based on supplier guidance, we are actively exploring alternative solutions such as ferrite magnets, which offer reasonable performance trade-offs,” Bajaj said.
He underlined that the disruption emphasizes the necessity of long-term plans to diversify and localize component sourcing.
The government has been urged by ELCINA to start a government-to-government (G2G) conversation with China.
The body also recommended promoting rare earth magnet manufacturing under current electronics schemes, increasing local R&D, and looking into exemptions akin to those in the semiconductor trade.
Additionally, ELCINA suggested that the government think about implementing a critical minerals-focused production-linked incentive (PLI) program.
