The tranche includes 13 blocks across 10 states, covering deposits of critical and deep-seated minerals such as gold, copper, diamonds, zinc, rare earth elements (REE), vanadium, and zirconium – key inpussts for industries ranging from electronics and renewable energy to defence and aerospace.
The Ministry of Mines launched the first tranche of auctions under the exploration licence (EL) regime on Thursday, five months after amending rules to take charge of EL auctions following delays by state governments.
The tranche includes 13 blocks across 10 states, covering deposits of critical and deep-seated minerals such as gold, copper, diamonds, zinc, rare earth elements (REE), vanadium, and zirconium – key inpussts for industries ranging from electronics and renewable energy to defence and aerospace.
“The way in foreign countries private companies go and do exploration on their own, and then get benefit out of that exploration, we are introducing that concept here. We give you some thousand square kilometers and you, as a private company, will go and do exploration. If you find that some critical or deep-seated mineral is available there, then you can get income for the next 50 years on the basis of your discovery,” Mines Secretary V L Kantha Rao said at the auction launch in Goa.
Of the 13 blocks up for auction
A boost in the exploration of critical minerals will provide potential investors with key data on reserves, which in turn will increase interest and participation in auctions. So far, only 24 critical mineral blocks have been auctioned off, and many auctions were annulled due to insufficient investor interest.
On the EL auctions launch, Union Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said, “For the first time, India is opening up systematic early-stage exploration through a structured and transparent auction process. This reform will accelerate the discovery of critical and deep-seated minerals, boost investor confidence, and pave the way for a self-reliant, future-ready mineral ecosystem aligned with India’s clean energy and industrial ambitions.”
To encourage private exploration, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act was amended in August 2023 to introduce the EL regime, aiming to attract junior mining companies.
, Chhattisgarh (diamond), Jharkhand (gold and copper), and Maharashtra (tantalum and zinc) have two each, while Andhra Pradesh (REEs), Arunachal Pradesh (zinc), Gujarat (vanadium), Karnataka (gold and copper), Madhya Pradesh (platinum-group elements), Rajasthan (REEs), and Uttar Pradesh (zirconium) have one each.