Centre auctions 56 critical mineral blocks; Exploration Licence blocks rise to 11
New Delhi, June 23
India's critical minerals sector has received a major boost with the Ministry of Mines completing the auction of 56 critical and strategic mineral blocks, as per a statement by the Ministry of Mines.
The Ministry auctioned 10 critical and strategic mineral blocks under the Seventh Tranche conducted by the Central Government, taking the total number of successfully auctioned critical and strategic mineral blocks to 56.
"This represents a successful auction rate of over 63%, with 56 blocks auctioned out of 88 unique mineral blocks taken up for auction by the Central Government," the release said.
Additionally, the latest tranche marked the first-ever auction of critical mineral blocks by the Centre in Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Telangana. The blocks include minerals such as graphite, rare earth elements (REE), vanadium, titanium, glauconite and rock phosphate, expanding the reach of critical mineral exploration across the country.
"The auction was conducted under the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015, as amended from time to time," the release added.
Alongside critical mineral auctions, the Ministry also completed the second tranche of Exploration Licence (EL) auctions, expanding the framework to Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha for the first time to boost exploration of critical and deep-seated minerals, which will be "opening new opportunities for exploration of critical and deep-seated minerals."
Following the completion of the second tranche, the number of Exploration Licence blocks auctioned by the Centre has increased to 11.
"The Exploration Licence framework enables systematic exploration of critical and deep-seated minerals by facilitating participation from private and public sector entities," the release added.
The release further added these "initiatives will accelerate the exploration and development of critical minerals essential for clean energy technologies, electric mobility, renewable energy systems, advanced manufacturing, electronics, defence applications and other strategic sectors of the economy."
— ANI
Reader Comments
63% auction rate is impressive but what about the 32 blocks that didn't get auctioned? Need more clarity on why investors are not interested in those. Also, environmental impact assessments must be done properly before mining starts. We can't repeat the mistakes of coal mining areas.
As someone working in the renewable energy sector, this is exactly what we needed. Vanadium for flow batteries, titanium for aerospace, REEs for wind turbines - these are the building blocks of green transition. But we need to ensure that extraction is sustainable and doesn't harm biodiversity. Let's learn from Australia's best practices.
Great initiative! But I'm a bit skeptical about the Exploration Licence framework in states like Arunachal Pradesh - those are ecologically sensitive Himalayan regions. Also, the MMDR Act amendments need to ensure state governments get fair revenue sharing. Otherwise we'll see the same old centre-state tussle over mineral resources.
Interesting to see Gujarat and Uttarakhand in the list. This could be a game-changer for manufacturing in those states - graphite for batteries, REEs for electronics. But the real test will be in the next 5 years - can we actually build processing capabilities or will we just export raw minerals? India needs to move up the value chain.
This is a step in the right direction but honestly, 56 blocks is still a drop in the ocean. China controls 60% of rare earth mining and 90% of processing. We need to think bigger - maybe 200-300 blocks in the next few years. Also, why is there no mention of lithium? That's the holy grail for battery manufacturing.
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