Record 212 mineral blocks auctioned in FY26, says Mines Ministry
New Delhi, May 25
Piyush Goyal, Secretary, Ministry of Mines on Monday urged closer coordination between the Centre and state governments to expedite statutory clearances, facilitate early commencement of mining operations, and ensure timely production from auctioned blocks.
Goyal chaired a monthly review meeting with senior ministry officials and Category-A mineral bearing States to review the progress of mineral block auctions and operationalisation across the country, an official statement said.
The meeting focused on accelerating reforms in the mining sector, enhancing domestic mineral production, and ensuring timely operationalisation of auctioned mineral blocks.
In FY 2025-26, a record 212 mineral blocks were auctioned - the highest in any financial year since auctions began.
Auction of 22 critical and strategic mineral blocks were among them, reflecting the government's continued focus on securing critical mineral resources essential for India's economic growth and clean energy transition.
Since the auction regime began in 2015, 108 mineral blocks were auctioned through FY 2020-21, the statement from the Ministry of Mines said.
The pace of auctions accelerated significantly, with 364 mineral blocks successfully auctioned between FY22 to FY25, averaging about 90 blocks per year.
The meeting also reviewed the operationalisation status of auctioned blocks and found that in FY26, a total of 36 mineral blocks, including 28 greenfield blocks and 8 brownfield blocks, have been operationalised.
As many as 58 blocks comprising 20 greenfield and 38 brownfield blocks operationalised during the entire period from FY16 to FY25.
Secretary also underscored the importance of critical mineral development in achieving the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and strengthening India's mineral security.
Recent surveys have identified substantial reserves of Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs) and critical rare metals across multiple blocks in Rajasthan's Siwana Ring Complex.
The Union Ministry of Mines has already assigned technical evaluation work for three blocks to specialised agencies, signalling that exploration has moved beyond preliminary assessments.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The mention of Rare Earth Elements in Rajasthan's Siwana Ring Complex is very promising! India has huge potential in REEs which are crucial for electronics and green tech. However, we need to ensure that mining is done with environmental safeguards - local communities should benefit and not suffer from pollution. Aatmanirbhar Bharat should not come at cost of our rivers and forests.
Good progress but let's be honest - the real issue is the time taken between auction and actual production. Many blocks remain idle for years due to clearance delays. Also, why only 22 critical mineral blocks out of 212? We need to aggressively explore for lithium, cobalt, nickel for battery manufacturing. Otherwise, we'll keep importing from China.
Record 212 blocks? Then why are our mineral imports still rising? Something doesn't add up. Unless these auctions just become another way for large corporates to hoard resources. Need transparency on how many of these blocks actually started production and how many are just sitting with companies. The 36 operationalised in FY26 is a start but still low compared to total auctioned.
Finally some strategic thinking on minerals! REEs in Rajasthan could be a goldmine for India's tech sector. But I'm worried about the environmental impact - Siwana is an ecologically sensitive area. Hope they use modern, clean mining technology and not the old destructive methods. Also, need to involve local tribal communities properly.
The acceleration is heartening - from 108 blocks in 6 years to 364 in 4 years shows policy focus. But what about
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