Mines

Keshav Chandra assumes charge as Mines Secretary, reviews key initiatives

Keshav Chandra on Monday assumed charge as the Mines Secretary, the mines ministry said. Chandra, a 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the AGMUT cadre, succeeds Piyush Goyal, who has been appointed as the Secretary General of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Before taking charge as mines secretary, Chandra served as chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council. Soon after assuming charge, Chandra chaired a meeting with senior officials and reviewed key initiatives of the mines ministry. The secretary emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts and effective implementation of the ministry's key initiatives to strengthen India's mineral sector. The ministry is treating critical minerals as a strategic sector as it seeks to secure minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, titanium and rare earths that are essential for electric vehicles, renewables, electronics, defence and other high-tech industries. India depends heavily on impor

Scientific mine closure gets ₹40,000 crore boost from the Centre

Along with a ₹40,000 crore corpus, the government signed an agreement with Germany's GIZ to strengthen scientific mine closure, land restoration, and post-mining development

Mines ministry recommends scrapping aluminium scrap import duty

The Ministry of Mines has urged the Department of Revenue to remove the 2.5 per cent basic customs duty on aluminium scrap, citing lower costs for recyclers and stronger domestic value addition

Andhra Pradesh to allocate land for ₹20K crore rare-earth projects

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

State-owned miner directed to boost output, profitability in Rajasthan

Rajasthan has asked RSMML to boost mineral output, profitability and turnover through technology adoption, potash exploration and aggressive marketing

Centre plans ₹3,000 cr incentive outlay to boost lithium, nickel processing

Nickel and lithium are critical to India's EV ‌supply chain, especially when it comes to batteries, as New Delhi targets 30 per cent ​electric ‌car penetration and 80 per cent for two-wheelers by 2030

Orissa High Court quashes CCI probe against Rungta Mines over DG powers

The Orissa High Court has ruled that the CCI's investigative arm cannot probe a company without a valid prima facie order under the Competition Act

Govt okays 58 critical mineral recyclers; investment commitments hit ₹5K cr

Companies pledge to create recycling capacity of 850 KTPA

Vedanta eyes three critical minerals, explores rare earth magnets

Mining major targets portfolio expansion and evaluates entry into rare earth magnet manufacturing as it deepens its role in India's strategic minerals ecosystem

₹5,000 cr incentive for states to boost mining blocks' auction, ops

Centre launches Rs 5,000 crore incentive scheme under SASCI to reward states for mining reforms, mine operationalisation, and boosting mineral production in FY27

Mines Ministry amends auction rules to fast-track mine operationalisation

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

Mines Ministry amends rules to include contiguous areas in leases

New rules allow inclusion of contiguous areas and associated minerals in leases, aiming to boost exploration, improve efficiency, and enhance critical mineral production

Centre asks states to expedite mineral exploration, cut auction delays

The Centre on Wednesday directed all states to expedite ongoing exploration projects, ensure faster approvals and improve coordination to significantly reduce exploration-to-auction timelines, a move aimed at bolstering the nation's critical minerals security amid global supply chain disruptions. Mines minister G Kishan Reddy also stressed the need to adopt advanced technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, drone-based surveys and modern beneficiation techniques, to increase efficiency and success rates in mineral discovery. The minister also stressed the greater inclusion of startups, private exploration agencies and innovation-driven institutions, in line with the vision of Startup India, to bring new ideas and cutting-edge solutions into the exploration ecosystem. Reddy chaired the 7th governing body meeting of the National Mineral Exploration & Development Trust (NMEDT), held here in the august presence of Minister of State for the Department ..

Clean energy transition will be built in mines - and must include women

Ensuring that women are fully represented in the industries that power this transition is not only about equity. It is about building the strongest possible foundation for India's next phase of growth

Centre unveils second tranche of critical mineral EL block auctions

Government offers 11 blocks of critical and deep-seated minerals across eight states under Exploration Licence regime to boost domestic mineral exploration

Govt notifies coking coal as critical mineral to cut import dependence

The Centre has notified coking coal as a critical mineral to speed up mining, attract private investment, and cut India's heavy dependence on imports for steelmaking

Govt proposes cutting timeline for companies to operationalise mines

Government proposes cutting the timeline to operationalise newly auctioned mines to two years, drawing concern from the mining industry over approval delays

Tata Steel aims to cushion impact of higher iron ore costs after 2030

Tata Steel is boosting upstream options, expanding downstream capacity and improving efficiency to manage higher iron ore costs expected after its captive mines go up for auction in 2030