Page 8 - Mining Industry

Automobiles to pharma & healthcare: Earnings winter to persist in Q4FY25

Past champions such as banks, oil & gas and automotive seen as laggards

Centre plans new unit to boost DMF, PMKKKY efficiency in mining regions

The mines ministry plans to set up a program management unit to facilitate the development of people affected by mining-related activities and effective coordination with the states for smooth implementation of Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana. The government in 2025 launched the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) aimed at the welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations, using the funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) from the funds accruing to them in terms of the mining act. Accordingly, the Centre directed the concerned State Governments to incorporate the PMKKKY into the rules framed by them for the DMF and to implement the said Scheme. The mines ministry said on its website that it is taking many initiatives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of District Mineral Foundation/ Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana. "Ministry of Mines plans to take services of a consulting firm to set up a Program .

Coal India's payment to govt drops, yet big support for miner states

For the financial year 2024-25, CIL paid ₹60,959.52 crore to the government exchequer. This was a small increase of 1.2 per cent compared to ₹60,197.8 crore paid in 2023-24

Parl panel expresses concern over diversion of DMF's fund in several states

A parliamentary panel has expressed concerns over several cases of diversion of funds of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) in several states for purposes other than welfare of mining-affected areas. The DMF is a non-profit statutory 'fund' for every Indian district affected by mining related operations. It is aligned with the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY), to ensure effective and equitable utilisation of these funds to address the challenges of communities inhabiting the mining regions and for their sustainable development. The panel is "concerned to note that there are many cases of diversion of the funds of DMFs or purposes other than the stipulated ones, in many States as informed by the Ministry of Mines. Such diversions, the Committee notes, took place in the form of transfers to State treasury/consolidated fund of the State or State level funds (by whatever name called) or Chief Minister's Relief Fund or other funds or schemes", said the Standing Committe

BEML announces launch of indigenously designed Motor Grader BG 1205

BEML Ltd, one of India's leading mining and construction equipment manufacturers, on Saturday announced the launch of its indigenously designed and developed Motor Grader BG 1205 at its Mysuru complex. This the company said is a significant milestone that underscores BEML's unwavering commitment to self-reliance and aligns seamlessly with the Government of India's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. "Equipped with an impressive 24-foot blade, the BG 1205 has been meticulously crafted to meet the evolving demands of the mining sector. Designed especially for high-intensity operations in regions such as SECL Bilaspur and Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) in Singrauli, this state-of-the-art equipment is tailored to support the increasing need for efficient road-laying machinery capable of handling high-capacity dumpers," the BEML Ltd said, in a statement. With a focus on superior performance, the BG 1205 is set to enhance productivity, ensure operational efficiency, and contribute significantly

Moment to unleash new generation of entrepreneurs, says Anil Agarwal

Despite India's immense natural wealth, he pointed out that 60 per cent of the country's imports are driven by natural resources such as oil, gas, gold, copper, and diamonds

Smart mining feeds tech's hunger for rare earths and critical minerals

Mining's next phase of growth is being shaped by the very technologies that use what it digs out from the Earth. Technology is making mining greener and safer

Kerala fishermen express concerns over Centre's deep-sea mining proposal

"They can bring in the navy or even the army, but we will not allow sea mining off our shore. This is a matter of life and death for us, and we will not let anyone take away our livelihood," Robin said passionately about their stance on the Union government's proposed deep-sea sand mining. The fishermen in Kerala have already launched several protests against the proposed plan to open up the sea to private mining companies as part of the Union Government's 'Blue Economy' initiative. All the fishermen's associations stand united in their protests against this proposal, alleging that it would bring an end to the fisheries sector in the country, not only in the Arabian Sea but also in the Bay of Bengal. "The mining, according to the scientific report we have, can disturb the seabed and completely destroy fish spawning habitats. It can also release poisonous gases trapped on the deep-sea floor, causing severe environmental issues," Kerala Minister for Fisheries, Saji Cherian, told PTI.

Chhattisgarh govt expands mineral exploration with 13 new projects

Initial surveys estimate reserves of 283 million tonnes (mt) of limestone, 67 mt of iron ore, and 300,000 tonnes of bauxite, a senior official of state mineral resources department said

Indian firms seek technical help from Dutch Royal IHC for deep-sea mining

Unlike countries like China, India is not yet prepared to extract minerals from the ocean's depths due to a lack of seabed mining expertise, experts say

Odisha Crime Branch arrests BJD leader Raja Chakra in mining scam

The Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Thursday arrested Biju Yuva Janata Dal state vice-president Soumya Shankar Chakra, alias Raja Chakra, in connection with an alleged multi-crore mining and transport scam. The Orissa High Court on Wednesday rejected Chakra's plea seeking interim protection from arrest. Additional DGP, CID, Crime Branch Vinaytosh Mishra said Chakra was interrogated and asked to clarify his role in the scam and then he was arrested. The Economic Offence Wing of the Crime Branch had earlier in February 2025 registered a case based on a complaint of alleged irregularity in the functioning of Gandhamardan Loading (GML) Agency and a transporting cooperative society limited and misappropriation of funds of the cooperative society in the mineral-rich Keonjhar district. The cooperative society has been created for the welfare of villagers affected by the mining activities. "In the course of the investigation, it was found that the loading agency had earned around Rs 185

Lagging behind in mineral geopolitics: India needs a rare earth strategy

The pursuit of minerals and fuel resources remains the driving force behind geopolitics even after the end of old-style colonialism

Exploring critical minerals in Zambia, Congo, Australia: Mines secy Rao

The move comes as India is taking efforts to reduce its reliance on imports of minerals such as lithium, key to energy transition technologies

Supreme Court dismisses Vedanta's plea against Goa iron ore mine e-auction

Following the Supreme Court's dismissal of Vedanta's plea, the Goa government is now set to proceed with the fresh e-auction process for the mineral block

S&P upgrades Vedanta Resources' rating on reduced refinancing risk

Vedanta Resources has seen its rating being upgraded in recent months after seeking to lower its debt and improve its capital structure

Budget 2025: FM takes 'transformative reforms' route to boost growth

The domains include regulatory reforms, the power sector, urban development, mining, the financial sector, and taxation

Budget reforms to enhance competitiveness of critical minerals: Industry

The mining reforms introduced in the Union Budget will have a transformative impact and will enhance the competitiveness of India's critical minerals sector, industry players said. In her Budget speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that a policy for recovery of critical minerals from tailings or by-products of mining will be launched. Sitharaman also said that mining sector reforms, including those for minor minerals, will be encouraged through the sharing of best practices and the institution of a State Mining Index. Additionally, the finance minister announced the removal of import duty on 12 critical minerals, cobalt powder and waste, lithium-ion battery scrap, lead and zinc. The sharing of best practices and institutionalising a State Mining Index for minor minerals along with a policy for recovery of critical minerals from tailings will enable circularity and innovation within the industry, Hindustan Zinc Ltd CEO Arun Misra said. As the country transitions t

Coal India's output dips 0.8% in Jan, first monthly decline in FY25

Coal India Ltd (CIL) on Saturday reported its first monthly production de-growth with the miner's output reducing by 0.8 per cent year-on-year in January. The company produced 77.8 million tonnes (MT) of coal in January as compared to 78.4 MT in the year-ago month. Despite the January production decline, CIL's management remains optimistic about achieving strong growth in the February-March period of the current fiscal, an official said. In December 2024, Coal India's production increased by 5.25 per cent year-on-year. For the period from April 2024 to January 2025, CIL recorded a growth of 1.8 per cent with output reaching 621.1 MT, up from 610.3 MT in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. CIL's offtake in January stood at 68.6 MT, a 2.2 per cent increase, from 67.1 MT in the year-ago month. For the first 10 months of the current fiscal (April 2024-January 2025), CIL's offtake reached 630.2 MT, reflecting a 1.8 per cent increase, from 619.4 MT in the corresponding per

Securing critical minerals: India's new mission for future growth

There is, of course, an important national-security element to this effort. Globally, the extraction and processing of critical minerals are dominated by China

Abu Dhabi fund ADQ, Orion team up to invest $1.2 bn in metals, mining

The partners will invest through different asset classes, including equity, senior debt and production-linked instruments, such as royalties