Mineral Sector

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

As demand for critical minerals surges with the clean energy transition, mining must adopt sustainable, technology-led practices to balance growth, environmental responsibility, community expectations

Delays in mine operationalisation and statutory clearances could hamper India's ambition of reaching 400 million tonnes of steel production by 2030, a JSPL executive warned

The Cabinet on Tuesday is likely to approve a Joint Declaration of Intent with Germany for cooperation in the critical minerals sector and is also expected to give nod to a similar pact with Canada, sources said. The decisions, expected to be taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aim to bolster India's strategic partnerships amid global rush among nations for securing resources vital for clean energy transition and advanced technologies. The pact with Germany will focus on joint exploration, sustainable mining, supply chain resilience and the technology transfer, sources told PTI. This comes at a time when India is ramping up efforts to secure critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements through international alliances, as part of its Atmanirbhar Bharat push in energy security. The Cabinet is also likely to clear signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent between India and Canada for cooperation in the critical minerals ...

The Trump administration is expected to unveil its grandest plan yet to rebuild supply chains of critical minerals needed for everything from jet engines to smartphones, likely through purchase agreements with partners on top of creating a $12 billion U.S. strategic reserve to help counter China's dominance. Vice President JD Vance is set to deliver a keynote address Wednesday at a meeting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hosting with officials from several dozen European, Asian and African nations. The US is expected to sign deals on supply chain logistics, though details have not yet been revealed. Rubio met Tuesday with foreign ministers from South Korea and India to discuss critical minerals mining and processing. The meeting and expected agreements will come just two days after President Donald Trump announced "Project Vault," or a stockpile of critical minerals to be funded with a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export and Import Bank and nearly $1.67 billion in private ..

The Economic Survey says India plans a development-centred climate strategy that integrates adaptation, mitigation and behaviour change while strengthening energy security

He said that engagements at WEF, Davos reinforce Bharat's growth story, with sustained interest from global leaders in partnering with India across multiple sectors

India and Namibia held the fifth round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) and agreed to deepen collaboration in key sectors, including health, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), agriculture, defence, and critical minerals.According to a release by the Ministry of External Affairs, the meeting was held on January 19 and January 20 and was co-chaired by Janesh Kain, Joint Secretary (East & Southern Africa), Ministry of External Affairs and Ambassador Charles Josob, Acting Head of Department for Bilateral Relations and Cooperation, Ministry of International Relations and Trade, Namibia.During the consultations, both sides reviewed the full spectrum of India-Namibia relations, covering trade, investment, health and pharmaceuticals, education, capacity building, agriculture, infrastructure development, consular matters, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges."Both sides agreed to further deepen bilateral ties in key areas such as health, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI),

India highlighted its firm commitment to strengthening and securing critical mineral supply chains as it participated in a key ministerial meeting hosted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw participated in the Finance Ministerial on Securing Critical Minerals Supply Chains convened by Bessent on Monday. The ministerial at the United States Treasury was to discuss solutions to secure and diversify supply chains for critical minerals, especially rare earth elements. Participated in the Critical Minerals Ministerial Meeting hosted by Treasury Secretary @SecScottBessent. Strengthening critical mineral supply chains is vital to enhancing the resilience of India's manufacturing capabilities and rapidly growing electronics sector, Vaishnaw said in a post on X. Vaishnaw arrived in Washington DC on Sunday to participate in the meeting, saying that secure critical mineral supply .

A parliamentary panel has stressed the need for seamless coordination among ministries to bolster the country's self-reliance in critical minerals like lithium, graphite, cobalt, and rare earth that are vital for a technology-driven future global economy. In its report, the Committee noted that the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative, with its strong emphasis on self-reliance, holds immense potential to secure a sustainable supply chain of these minerals and enhance the country's industrial competitiveness. However, it cautioned that without effective coordination, these efforts may fall short. "The Committee...suggest that alongside the Ministry of Mines, which is leading these efforts, all ministries concerned, State governments and agencies should work in close alignment to ensure that the country remains competitive in the critical mineral sector," the Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel has said in a report. The committee recommended that the mines ministry, which is ...

WEF says efforts to diversify critical mineral refining away from China are falling short, leaving supply chains exposed as demand rises from EVs, data centres and power grids

Draft mineral concession rules propose letting captive mine owners sell surplus output after meeting end-use needs, alongside steps to ease operations and promote deep-seated exploration