Page 3 - Mineral Sector

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

Centre launches targeted DMF push for aspirational districts initiative

Eyes ₹32,000 crore local development boost

India plans to kickstart rare-earth magnet output to cut China dependence

The policy blueprint is likely to be submitted for cabinet approval soon, the people said. The final outlay for the program is subject to internal consultations and could change

Vedanta reports record alumina, ferro chrome output in Q1 FY26 results

Vedanta posts strong quarterly performance with record alumina and ferro chrome production, higher zinc output, and operational gains across key metals and power businesses

Quad launches major initiative to steady supply of critical minerals

In a significant move, the Quad grouping has launched an initiative to ensure the availability of critical minerals under a broader goal to strengthen economic security amid concerns over China's coercive tactics, including price manipulation in the sector. The decision on rolling out the "Quad Critical Minerals Initiative" was announced after a meeting of foreign ministers of the member nations of the grouping in the US capital on Tuesday. A readout of the meeting said the new initiative is an "ambitious expansion" of the Quad partnership to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating on securing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya. "This new flagship initiative, alongside the high-impact programmes and outcomes the Quad is realising, will enable our four ...

Hindustan Zinc eyes rare earth minerals, but production may take 5 years

Hindustan Zinc CEO says removing regulatory hurdles could fast-track mineral production in India