Page 3 - Mining Industry

Centre sets timelines to speed up work on auctioned mineral blocks

The amendment sets clear milestones between the issuance of the letter of intent (LoI) and the execution of mining leases, with penalties for delays and incentives for early production

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

Mines ministry unlikely to cap bid premium in critical mineral auctions

The mines ministry rules out any move to limit bid premiums for critical minerals, even as aggressive offers raise questions over their commercial viability

Centre working on steps to boost rare earth supply chain: Piyush Goyal

Commerce minister Piyush Goyal says India is building resilient supply chains and negotiating pacts with Chile and Peru to boost access to rare earth minerals

Centre unveils first State Mining Index to boost reforms in mineral sector

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat lead in the first State Mining Readiness Index, as the Centre benchmarks States to boost mining reforms and sustainable practices

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

US to take 10% stake in Canada's Trilogy Metals to unlock Alaska mining

Trump said the White House is reversing a Biden-era decision to reject Ambler Road, a project to help access vast critical mineral deposits in Alaska's Northern Brooks Range

KIOCL zooms 47% in 3 days on heavy volumes; what's driving this PSU stock?

Shares of KIOCL hit a new high of ₹628.85, soaring 19 per cent on the BSE in Monday's intra-day trade amid heavy volumes.

Vedanta extends demerger deadline to March 2026 amid pending approvals

Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Ltd has pushed the deadline for its demerger to March-end next year as the approvals from the National Company Law Tribunal and government authorities are still pending, the company has said in a regulatory filing. The deadline was earlier extended from March 31, 2025 to September 30 this year. "Given that the conditions precedent in the Scheme, including approval of the National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench (NCLT) and approvals from certain government authorities are in the process of being completed, the board of the company and the resulting companies...have decided to extend the timeline for fulfilment of the conditions precedent from September 30, 2025 to March 31, 2026," Vedanta had said in a filing this week. The approval of the demerger proposal will pave the way for the company's various business verticals to become separate entities. Vedanta Resources CEO Deshnee Naidoo had earlier exuded optimism that the demerger of its Indian arm Vedanta

Trump admin opens more land for coal, offers $625 mn for plant upgrades

The Trump administration said Monday it will open 13 million acres of federal lands for coal mining and provide USD 625 million to recommission or modernize coal-fired power plants as President Donald Trump continues his efforts to reverse the year-long decline in the US coal industry. Actions by the Energy and Interior departments and the Environmental Protection Agency follow executive orders Trump issued in April to revive coal, a reliable but polluting energy source that's long been shrinking amid environmental regulations and competition from cheaper natural gas. Environmental groups denounced announcement, which come as the Trump administration has clamped down on renewable energy, including freezing permits for offshore wind projects, ending clean energy tax credits and blocking wind and solar projects on federal lands. Under Trump's orders, the Energy Department has required fossil-fuelled power plants in Michigan and Pennsylvania to keep operating past their retirement date

MAHAGENCO starts operations at Chhattisgarh's Gare Palma coal mine

The box cut activity at the mine was launched in the presence of MAHAGENCO's Chairman and Managing Director B Radhakrishnan

How China's 500kW antenna is giving it a clear lead in the mineral race

China is using its massive 500kW electromagnetic antenna, originally for submarines, to detect hidden lithium, cobalt, gold, and rare earths, boosting its lead in global mineral exploration

Govt plans to bring in mechanism to curb irrational bidding by companies

It has been observed that such behaviour either distorts the bidding process and its price discovery function or lead to project delays when non-serious players bag contracts

Indian mining firms eye opportunities as South Africa eases regulations

The South African government's move to ease mining regulations and privatisation of infrastructure opens up opportunities for Indian business, according to Nitin Agrawal, Group Chairman of Oza Holdings, which has assets in the mining and manufacturing sectors. Agrawal was addressing a gathering of 36 business leaders from the NPO Young Indians, which is part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The delegation was in South Africa in the past week as part of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance. South Africa holds the Presidency of the G20 this year. Indian Consul General in Johannesburg Mahesh Kumar hosted the group for interactions with local business leaders, government representatives and business school leaders. "South Africa is a large and developed economy within Africa. It has very well-established mineral reserves and resources, along with very well-developed infrastructure, be it road, rail, or ports that can handle large volumes of commodities. It has a very good

India becomes first country to hold 2 PMS exploration contracts with ISA

The new contract is a significant step towards realising the vision of the Deep Ocean Mission launched by PM Narendra Modi

Vedanta bags 152 hectares Punnam manganese block in Andhra Pradesh

Vedanta has secured a manganese block in Andhra Pradesh through the auction route. The Punnam manganese block spans 152 hectares and is currently at the G4 level of exploration. The G4 level of exploration, known as reconnaissance, is the broadest and earliest stage of mineral exploration where broad areas are surveyed to identify potential mineral-rich regions. "The company has been declared as the preferred bidder for the Punnam Manganese block in Andhra Pradesh by the Department of Mines & Geology," Vedanta has said in a filing to BSE on Thursday. Grant of the composite license will be subject to fulfilment of conditions, including submission of a performance bank guarantee, statutory clearances, and execution of required agreements with the state government, the filing said. A composite license, officially called a prospecting licence-cum-mining lease, is a two-stage mining concession that grants the holder the right to both prospect (explore and determine the extent of a ...

Rajasthan govt plans new strategy to further raise mining

According to a mines department official, a "concrete strategy", which includes aspects like recovery of dues, is being developed

Auto Inc seeks closer ties with Centre for critical raw materials

It is working on a plan to secure supplies for next two-three quarters

Tega Industries, Apollo Funds to buy Molycop in $1.5 billion deal

Molycop, on the other hand, is a supplier of grinding media to the mining industry, with a focus on the manufacture and sale if grinding media and chemicals for use in both SAG mill and ball mills

India taps Myanmar rebels for rare earth supply amid China's tight control

The Ministry of Mines has asked both state-run and private companies to collect and transport rare earth samples from Kachin Independence Army (KIA)-controlled mines in northeastern Myanmar