Mineral Sector

Centre files curative plea in SC over states' right to levy mining cess

The Centre has approached the Supreme Court with a curative plea against the ruling that allowed states to levy a cess on mining lands, warning of international implications and strain on the federal

J&K to kick off first-ever limestone block auction on November 24

Jammu & Kashmir will conduct its maiden auction of seven limestone blocks under the MMDR Act's post-2015 reforms, with the Centre intervening to speed up the process and open new mineral

India to post multi-fold rise in neodymium production by FY27 end: IREL

IREL, which comes under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), currently handles mining and initial processing of these rare earth elements (REEs)

India taps IISc as centre of excellence to boost critical minerals research

The Ministry of Mines has chosen IISc Bengaluru as a key hub for research and innovation in critical minerals, strengthening India's self-reliance in clean energy, defence, and advanced technologies.

Govt puts in place timelines to expedite ops of auctioned mineral blocks

The government on Sunday said it has amended the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 to introduce timelines for different activities after the auction of mineral blocks to expedite their operations. The amendment has put in place milestones between the issuance of the letter of intent and the execution of mining leases, with imposing of penalties for delays and giving incentives for early production. The move aims at improving monitoring across the stages of mine development and preventing bidders from sitting on the blocks without beginning the operations. "As the latest step in its endeavour to fast-track operationalisation, the Ministry of Mines has notified amendment to the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 on October 17, 2025 introducing intermediary timelines for various activities to be completed after issue of Letter of Intent till execution of mining lease," an official statement said. Under the amended rules, approval of the mining plan should happen within six months, environmenta

Centre reclassifies limestone as major mineral amid rising industrial use

The move, effective October 10, 2025, follows NITI Aayog's panel advice and brings limestone under central regulation as its use grows in large industries

Centre to intensify advance-level exploration of critical mineral blocks

The government is also planning to launch a single-window clearance portal for mining projects by December, which will expedite the mining project execution, including that of critical minerals

Sona Comstar MD Singh flags magnet quality issues under PLI scheme

During the meeting, Singh raised concerns about the quality of magnets that will be produced in India under the scheme

China widens export curbs on rare earths ahead of critical Xi-Trump meeting

Overseas exporters of items that use even traces of certain rare earths sourced from China will now need an export licence

Mines ministry proposes lowering bidder threshold for mineral auctions

The Ministry of Mines has proposed amendments to allow mineral block auctions to proceed with two technically qualified bidders instead of three to improve success rates

Ola Electric's ferrite motor gets nod, cuts rare-earth dependence

India's largest EV maker secures certification for a ferrite motor that removes rare-earth magnets, tackling cost and supply-chain challenges in electric mobility

Govt to auction 23 critical mineral blocks in sixth tranche on Tuesday

The Centre will launch the sixth tranche of auctions for critical and strategic minerals on Tuesday, offering 23 blocks and announcing the first set of bidders for exploration licences

Forest rules amended to get approval for critical minerals mining: Minister

The government's National Critical Mineral Mission 2025 seeks to achieve self-reliance in the critical minerals sector, said Yadav at CII Sustainability Summit in New Delhi

Govt cancels auction of 5 critical mineral blocks due to poor response

The government has cancelled the auction of five critical mineral blocks, including a rare earth element (REE) block in Karnataka, in the fifth round of auction due to poor response. There were no bids for three blocks -- two glauconite mines in Gujarat and Chhattisgarh and one Nickel and PGE (Platinum Group Element) block in Karnataka, which led to cancellation of their auction, the mines ministry said in a notice. Besides, sale of two other blocks -- a tungsten mine in Maharashtra and an REE block in Karnataka -- was annulled for lack of minimum three technically qualified bidders, it said. The fifth tranche of auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks was launched in January. Of 15 blocks put on auction, 10 have been auctioned. These 10 blocks comprise critical and strategic minerals including graphite, phosphorite, phosphate, REE, vanadium and potash and halite spread across Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Coal India, Oil India, NLC India,

Hindustan Zinc exploring opportunities in rare earths, critical minerals

HZL Chairperson Priya Agarwal Hebbar said the company is pursuing rare earths, lithium, and other critical minerals, while seeking AI- and drone-led global collaborations

Electric two-wheeler manufacturing loses charge amid rare earth shortage

Industry racing to fast-track magnet-free designs, diversifying sourcing

India, Russia to collaborate on rare earths, critical minerals mining

India and Russia are exploring opportunities in rare earth and critical minerals extraction, underground coal gasification, and creation of modern industrial infrastructure, an official statement said on Wednesday. The issue came up for discussions during the India-Russia Working Group on Modernization and Industrial Cooperation meeting, which was held here under the framework of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation. Critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth are essential raw materials required to fuel the growth of rapidly-growing clean energy technologies and their expanding uses ranging from wind turbines and electricity networks to electric vehicles and battery manufacturing. The commerce and industry ministry said the key focus areas included cooperation in aerospace science and technology, including the establishment of a modernized wind tunnel facility, production of

Apple turns to Japan to ease China's rare-earth magnet supply squeeze

This squeeze had forced the company to close down the plant for two weeks till June-end - a move that was unprecedented

Peru pitches critical minerals to Indian firms, FTA likely by early 2026

Amid China export concerns, Peru seeks Indian investment in rare earths and logistics as FTA nears finalisation, offering opportunities in energy, defence, and technology

Rajasthan hikes royalties on minor minerals by up to 30% after 4 years

The Mines Department had sent a proposal to increase the royalties on minor minerals to the state government a few days ago