Mineral Sector

New Delhi Declaration calls for diversified and sustainable supply chains, benefit sharing and value addition in resource-rich countries as demand for clean-energy minerals rises

Today's opinions examine India's critical-minerals strategy, FSSAI's food-warning labels, Budget discipline, the RBI's dollar-rupee swaps and lessons from industrial policy

The Congress alleges the MMDR Amendment Bill threatens Odisha's fiscal autonomy and mineral rights, and has sought an all-party meeting and a special Assembly session

Industry and state-level estimates suggest Odisha could lose around Rs 12,000 crore in annual mineral-related revenue and over Rs 1 trillion in outstanding dues

The Bill's restrictions on taxing mineral rights and mineral-bearing land have revived questions over Parliament's powers and could open the door to legal challenges by states

The amendment enables the Centre to confer upon itself the sole authority to control mines and mineral development in the country

The MMDR Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks greater government control over mineral-bearing land and tighter rules for state taxes, cesses and other mining-related levies

Grant Thornton Bharat has called for faster investment in recycling, refining, traceability, and overseas assets as clean energy and electric mobility drive mineral demand

The government has cancelled the auction of nine critical and strategic mineral blocks, citing poor investor response and lack of qualified bidders. These blocks were put on the block in the seventh round of sale. The development comes as a setback to the government's efforts to ramp up domestic exploration and production of critical minerals that are central to the country's push for energy security, clean-tech manufacturing and cutting down dependence on imports. It also reflects the challenge of drawing private investment into riskier mineral assets, where technical complexities, higher capital costs and regulatory uncertainties tend to dampen bidding interest. The government had cancelled several critical and strategic mineral block auctions in the previous rounds as well -- 11 blocks in the sixth round, five in the fifth, 11 in the fourth, three in the third, 14 in the second and 13 in the first tranche. "Since there were nil bids... the auction process for... two mineral bloc

Of the total, around Rs 16,000 crore is expected to come from upstream processing projects, while downstream magnet manufacturing could account for another Rs 4,000 crore

Bridge Green Upcycle has inaugurated Tamil Nadu's first dedicated critical mineral recovery plant for spent lithium-ion batteries, with plans to invest up to ₹1,000 crore over five years

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has sought allocation of key bauxite and iron ore blocks to OMC and faster clearances to strengthen Odisha's mining sector

The Mines Ministry said FY26 recorded the highest annual mineral block auctions, with 212 blocks auctioned under the regime introduced in 2015

Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday said that the Centre aims to reduce dependence on imports and make the country 'atma nirbhar' (self-reliant) in the minerals sector. Speaking at a roadshow organised by the Mines Ministry on the 7th Tranche Auction of critical mineral blocks and Tranche-2 Exploration Licence, he said the union government's top priorities are to make the country benefit from the mineral wealth and increase employment generation. "I would like to say on behalf of the Centre. The government does not not work for revenue in the mineral sector. It takes major steps to make the country atma nirbhar in the mineral sector," he said. Observing that there are a lot of opportunities for extraction of critical minerals in urban mining and coal gasification in the future, he urged the private sector to work together with PSUs, state governments and others. Union Mines Secretary Piyush Goyal said during FY 2025-26, a record 212 mineral blocks were auctioned

Government revises mineral auction rules to ease constraints, allow exclusions, and extend timelines, aiming to accelerate mine operationalisation and boost sector efficiency

State plans to auction 25 major and nine critical mineral blocks, including two gold-bearing assets, as it steps up exploration, production and revenue generation

The request for proposal seeks applicants to establish integrated Sintered NdFeB Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM) units with a total capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA)

Odisha reports traces of gold, diamond and ruby across districts, with detailed exploration and viability studies underway to assess potential mining prospects

India auctions 200 mineral blocks in FY26, highest ever, with states playing a key role as focus sharpens on critical minerals and resource security