+
India Awards First Lithium and REE Blocks to Private Miner
COAL & MINING

India Awards First Lithium and REE Blocks to Private Miner

In a groundbreaking development, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy awarded India's first lithium block, Katghora, and a Rare Earth Element (REE) block in Chhattisgarh to Maiki South Mining Private Limited. This allocation, with a Final Price Offer (FPO) of 76.05%, occurred during the fourth tranche of the critical minerals auction.

India has been heavily dependent on imports to meet its critical mineral needs, such as lithium, niobium, and REEs, which are essential for industries like electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals, and defense manufacturing. The move to domestically source these minerals marks a significant shift towards resource self-sufficiency.

The discovery of India's first lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir, with estimated reserves of 5.9 million tonnes, was announced in February last year. Following this, in July 2023, India revised its mining regulations to allow private miners to explore and extract these vital resources.

At the event, Minister Reddy highlighted the positive impacts of the 2015 mining and mineral sector reforms and assured continued reforms every 15 days to further enhance the sector.

The fourth tranche e-auction of critical minerals includes 21 blocks, with 11 new blocks in states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Karnataka. Despite the initial round receiving 56 physical and 56 online bids for 18 of the 20 blocks offered in November 2023, the auction for 13 blocks was canceled due to limited interest, prompting the re-auction of seven of these blocks in the third round.

India's strategic move to auction critical mineral blocks is part of its broader initiative to facilitate a clean energy transition. The government recently canceled 14 out of 18 blocks in the second tranche due to insufficient bids and is set to auction its first tranche of 10 offshore critical mineral blocks within the next 100 days.

In a groundbreaking development, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy awarded India's first lithium block, Katghora, and a Rare Earth Element (REE) block in Chhattisgarh to Maiki South Mining Private Limited. This allocation, with a Final Price Offer (FPO) of 76.05%, occurred during the fourth tranche of the critical minerals auction. India has been heavily dependent on imports to meet its critical mineral needs, such as lithium, niobium, and REEs, which are essential for industries like electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals, and defense manufacturing. The move to domestically source these minerals marks a significant shift towards resource self-sufficiency. The discovery of India's first lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir, with estimated reserves of 5.9 million tonnes, was announced in February last year. Following this, in July 2023, India revised its mining regulations to allow private miners to explore and extract these vital resources. At the event, Minister Reddy highlighted the positive impacts of the 2015 mining and mineral sector reforms and assured continued reforms every 15 days to further enhance the sector. The fourth tranche e-auction of critical minerals includes 21 blocks, with 11 new blocks in states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Karnataka. Despite the initial round receiving 56 physical and 56 online bids for 18 of the 20 blocks offered in November 2023, the auction for 13 blocks was canceled due to limited interest, prompting the re-auction of seven of these blocks in the third round. India's strategic move to auction critical mineral blocks is part of its broader initiative to facilitate a clean energy transition. The government recently canceled 14 out of 18 blocks in the second tranche due to insufficient bids and is set to auction its first tranche of 10 offshore critical mineral blocks within the next 100 days.

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Private Sector Builds India’s First Heavy Water Test Facility

In a major stride towards nuclear self-reliance, India’s first privately built test facility for upgrading depleted heavy water has been commissioned by TEMA India Ltd. The facility was inaugurated by Shri Rajesh V, Director – Technical, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), and Shri K. T. Shenoy, Director, Chemical Engineering Group, BARC. Developed under a technology transfer from BARC and a purchase order from NPCIL, the unit represents a landmark in public-private collaboration and supports the government’s Atma-Nirbhar Bharat initiative.Previously, critical testing for hea..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Coal Ministry Pushes Digital Drive With SWCS Training Session

In a bid to accelerate digital transformation in the coal sector, the Ministry of Coal conducted a hands-on training workshop and interactive session on the Exploration Module of the Single Window Clearance System (SWCS) on 25 July 2025. Held at Tagore Chamber, SCOPE Complex, New Delhi, the session aimed to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of the module’s functionalities and encourage its use for efficient exploration-related submissions and approvals.Ms Rupinder Brar, Additional Secretary and Nominated Authority (AS & NA), chaired the session and stressed the vital role digital plat..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India Enhances Cyber Defences for Critical Infrastructure

The Government of India remains acutely aware of the cyber threats facing the country’s digital and physical infrastructure. Its policies are focused on fostering a safe, trusted, and accountable cyberspace for all users. Several initiatives are being implemented to strengthen cyber security across critical sectors such as power, transport, and banking, ensuring their continuous and secure operation.The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) undertake cyber security audits under the Information Technol..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?