Mineral Block Auction

Govt completes auction of 24 critical, strategic mineral blocks in 4 rounds

The government on Wednesday said that 24 critical and strategic mineral blocks have been sold in four rounds of auction. "Out of 48 blocks put to e-auction, 24 have been successfully auctioned, including four mining lease (ML) and 20 composite license (CL) blocks," the mines ministry said in a statement. The centre has so far completed four tranches of e-auction, it said, adding that a total of 10 blocks have been auctioned in the fourth round. According to the statement, the mines ministry has completed the e-auction of another two mineral blocks under tranche IV. "This is in addition to the announcement on November 7, 2024, regarding the preferred bidders for eight mineral blocks under tranche IV of e-auction by central government, bringing the total number of successful blocks in Tranche IV to ten," it said. In the latest auction, Satguru Mining Pvt Ltd won the bid for Ponchi graphite block in Jharkhand, while Assam Mineral Development Corp Ltd emerged as the preferred bidder f

Bihar govt expecting Rs 5,000 cr revenue from mineral block auction

The Bihar government is expecting an earning of around Rs 5,000 crore from the auction of mineral blocks in Rohtas, Gaya and Jamui, a senior official said on Wednesday. Blocks of glauconite in Rohtas and rocks containing chromite (Cr), nickel (Ni) and platinum group of elements (PGE) in Gaya have been recently auctioned, he said. "Three more mineral blocks in Rohtas and Jamui will be auctioned by the state government in October. The government is expected to earn Rs 5,000 crore from the auction of these blocks, including those auctioned recently," Mines and Geology Department Additional Chief Secretary Mihir Kumar Singh said. In a bid to effectively monitor mining activities and take stringent action against those indulging in illegal practices in the sector, the department has requested the authorities concerned to grant magisterial power to mining officers and inspectors, he said. "If our officers are granted magisterial power, the department will work more independently and ...

Centre to offer financial support to boost critical minerals sector growth

The focus of this initiative is to help find ways to develop extraction technology and better methods of beneficiation

Rajasthan expedites marking, e-auctioning of mines to curb illegal mining

Illegal mining can be curbed only by promoting legal mining

India's maiden critical mineral auctions: Who are the participants?

Among the five players who have won the bids, only Dalmia Bharat Refractories is affiliated with a major business group

Maiden critical minerals block results likely to be announced on Monday

More than two dozen blocks will also be put on the bidding block in fourth blocks

38 critical blocks on sale unlikely to accrue benefits in this decade: ICRA

Icra on Wednesday said that benefits from the 38 critical mineral blocks that have been put on sale are not likely to accrue in the current decade ending 2030 as the mines are not fully explored. "The preliminary stage of exploration for most of the domestic blocks that are currently being auctioned suggests that their commercialisation and associated benefits are unlikely to fully accrue in the current decade ending 2030. Therefore, India's downstream manufacturing facilities are likely to remain exposed to potential future supply shocks of critical minerals in the intervening years," Icra said in a statement. The government is auctioning two lithium blocks in the ongoing auctions. The one in Jammu & Kashmir has clay deposits. While the technology for extracting lithium from hard rock and brine deposits has matured, the same for extracting lithium from clay deposits remains untested globally. Given these challenges, the J&K lithium block received less than three bids, ...

India's critical and strategic mineral auctions face three-month delay

Final date to select the preferred bidders for remaining seven mineral blocks has been deferred to July 8

Centre aims to conclude first round of critical mineral auction within week

The Centre has initiated the auction of 38 critical & strategic minerals to date. The initial tranche included 20 blocks, while the subsequent tranche consisted of 18 blocks

Centre launches 2nd round of critical mineral auction worth Rs 30 trillion

The inaugural round for the auction of critical minerals in the country commenced on November 29. The minister disclosed that over 180 potential bidders have procured the tender documents

Govt launches 2nd round of critical, strategic mineral blocks auction

The first round of auctions was launched in November last year, in a move to drive the nation's clean energy push

Critical, offshore mineral blocks set for auction in 2024: Official

Auctioning of critical mineral and offshore mineral blocks as well as giving exploration licences in 2024 are set to rejuvenate the country's mining sector that has the potential for a multiplier effect on economic growth. As the government focuses on self reliance, Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi told PTI, "every few months (in 2024) we will bring out a new batch of critical minerals for auction." Not just critical minerals, exploration of deep-seated minerals like gold and copper, as well as offshore areas are on the priority list. In November, the government launched the first tranche of e-auction of 20 mines of critical and strategic minerals. The blocks include copper, lithium, nickel and potash. A committee, set up by the mines ministry, had identified 30 minerals as critical and strategic, considering their economic importance and supply risk vis-a-vis India's priorities and future requirements for energy transition. Besides, a new Mineral Concession namely exploration licence

Centre allows notified pvt exploration agencies in mineral blocks auction

The mines ministry on Friday said it has permitted notified private exploration agencies to participate in the auction of critical and deep-seated mineral blocks explored by them. The development will attract bigger mining companies in the exploration arena and is likely to encourage junior mining companies from around the world to come to India and take up exploration projects with National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) funding. The ministry further said it has also launched a new scheme to directly sanction projects for exploration of critical and deep-seated minerals to notified private exploration agencies (NPEAs). This new scheme will help bring new technologies in the field of exploration. The decision to allow NPEAs to directly submit projects in Ministry of Mines will help cut delays in sanction of projects as well as fast-track execution of projects. The move aims at giving a fillip to exploration of critical and deep-seated minerals. "Ministry of Mines has launched a

NMET-funded 11 mineral blocks auctioned, six under process: Coal minister

The government on Wednesday said as many as 11 mineral blocks funded by the National Mineral Exploration Trust have been auctioned while six other blocks are under the sale process. The National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) was set up in 2015 to boost regional and detailed mineral exploration activities. "Since inception NMET has funded 270 mineral exploration projects, out of which 162 projects have been completed and the remaining 108 projects are ongoing. "Out of 162 completed projects, 11 projects have been auctioned by the respective state governments and six projects are in pipeline," Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Of the 11 projects, three are in Odisha, two each in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, and one each in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, he said. Of the six NMET blocks under the auction process, five are in Tamil Nadu and one in Karnataka. NMET receives proposals from exploration agencies and

Madhya Pradesh auctions 22 mineral blocks, to earn Rs 38,100 crore

Latest auction elevates state's total to 68 blocks, the highest in India

Mines and Minerals Bill passed in RS, special focus on critical minerals

The bill confers upon the centre the exclusive right to auction mineral concessions for critical minerals specified in part D of the first schedule of the Act

190 major mineral blocks auctioned in seven years, says Pralhad Joshi

"Mineral exploration will be carried out without adverse environmental impact through enhanced use of drones and other latest technologies," he said.

Notice inviting tender for auctioning 27 mineral blocks issued by 4 states

Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) for sale of 27 mineral blocks have been issued by four states, including Jharkhand and Odisha, Parliament was informed on Monday.

Odisha issues notice inviting tender for e-auction of 11 mineral blocks

The Odisha government has issued Notice Inviting Tender for online auction of 11 more mining blocks, including seven virgin blocks

Centre asks states to pick 5 new mineral blocks with clearances for auction

The identified blocks would be auctioned along with other blocks without pre-embedded clearances