Vedanta has secured the Punnam manganese block in Andhra Pradesh through a government auction, strengthening its presence in India’s mineral sector.

The block spans 152 hectares and is currently at the G4 exploration level, the earliest stage of reconnaissance where broad areas are surveyed for mineral potential. The Department of Mines & Geology declared Vedanta the preferred bidder.

According to the company’s filing with BSE, the composite licence—covering both prospecting and mining—will be granted after Vedanta fulfils conditions including a performance bank guarantee, statutory approvals and agreements with the state government.

A composite licence allows the concessionaire to explore and, if commercially viable, mine the deposit within the allotted area. This win bolsters Vedanta’s resource base as India pushes for higher domestic mineral production and reduced import reliance.