Maiki South Mining secures nation's inaugural lithium block

26 Jun 2024 CW Team

The Katghora lithium and rare earth elements (REE) block in Chhattisgarh was awarded to Maiki South Mining at an auction premium of 76.05%.

The outcome was revealed at the launch of the fourth round of auctions for critical and strategic minerals.

As per the mines ministry, Maiki South Mining has been identified as the preferred bidder for the Katghora Lithium and rare earth elements (REE) block in Chhattisgarh.

During the launch event for the fourth round of auction for critical and strategic minerals, the names of the preferred bidders for the six blocks auctioned in the first round were announced.

The other bidders for the five blocks included Agrasen Sponge, Kundan Gold Mines, Dalmia Bharat Refractories, and Sagar Stone Industries.

Agrasen Sponge secured two blocks in Odisha, Kundan Gold Mines acquired a graphite mine in the same state, Dalmia Bharat Refractories obtained a graphite block in Tamil Nadu, and Sagar Stone Industries won a phosphorite block in Uttar Pradesh.

Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy, speaking during the function, announced the commencement of the fourth round of auction for critical and strategic minerals, featuring 21 blocks up for sale.

Among these blocks, 11 are new ones located in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Karnataka.

Addressing the audience, Reddy highlighted that the reforms implemented in the mining and mineral sector since 2015 are yielding positive results.

According to the Ministry of Mines' cancellation notice posted on the MSTC website, the auction of 14 critical mineral blocks in the second round was revoked. Five blocks received no bids, while the bids received for the remaining blocks fell short of the minimum requirement of three.

During the launch event, Mines Secretary V L Kantha Rao affirmed that the ministry will ensure the prompt commencement of production from critical minerals.

Maiki South Mining has secured the nation's inaugural lithium block in Chhattisgarh, which was offered for sale, according to an announcement by the government. Simultaneously, the government informed about the cancellation of the auction for 14 critical minerals that were included in the second round of auctions. The Katghora lithium and rare earth elements (REE) block in Chhattisgarh was awarded to Maiki South Mining at an auction premium of 76.05%. The outcome was revealed at the launch of the fourth round of auctions for critical and strategic minerals. As per the mines ministry, Maiki South Mining has been identified as the preferred bidder for the Katghora Lithium and rare earth elements (REE) block in Chhattisgarh. During the launch event for the fourth round of auction for critical and strategic minerals, the names of the preferred bidders for the six blocks auctioned in the first round were announced. The other bidders for the five blocks included Agrasen Sponge, Kundan Gold Mines, Dalmia Bharat Refractories, and Sagar Stone Industries. Agrasen Sponge secured two blocks in Odisha, Kundan Gold Mines acquired a graphite mine in the same state, Dalmia Bharat Refractories obtained a graphite block in Tamil Nadu, and Sagar Stone Industries won a phosphorite block in Uttar Pradesh. Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy, speaking during the function, announced the commencement of the fourth round of auction for critical and strategic minerals, featuring 21 blocks up for sale. Among these blocks, 11 are new ones located in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Karnataka. Addressing the audience, Reddy highlighted that the reforms implemented in the mining and mineral sector since 2015 are yielding positive results. According to the Ministry of Mines' cancellation notice posted on the MSTC website, the auction of 14 critical mineral blocks in the second round was revoked. Five blocks received no bids, while the bids received for the remaining blocks fell short of the minimum requirement of three. During the launch event, Mines Secretary V L Kantha Rao affirmed that the ministry will ensure the prompt commencement of production from critical minerals.

Infrastructure Urban

07 Oct 2025

Mizoram’s Kaladan Transport Project To Be Completed By 2027

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma announced that the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) — a cross-border road link connecting southern Mizoram to the Bay of Bengal via Myanmar — is expected to be completed by 2027.Speaking at Tlanglut Kut, a major festival of the Bawm tribe, and the International Bawm Cultural Meet held in Khawmawi village, Lunglei district, Lalduhoma said he had recently met with officials from the company executing the Kaladan project, who assured him that the bilateral infrastructure initiative would be completed within the next two years.He added tha..

Infrastructure Transport

07 Oct 2025

Bhopal Metro To Launch Orange Line With Noise Control

The Bhopal Metro is gearing up to launch its priority corridor next month, marking a major milestone for the city’s urban transport network. The Orange Line stretch from AIIMS to Subhash Nagar Depot, covering eight stations, will allow trains to run at speeds of up to 80 km/h while incorporating extensive noise and vibration control technologies, in line with the Metro Rail Transit System Guidelines for Noise and Vibrations (2015), according to the Times of India.Officials from the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) said the project places strong emphasis on minimising en..

Infrastructure Transport

07 Oct 2025

Gandhinagar Metro Completes Trial Run To Mahatma Mandir

The Gandhinagar Metro successfully conducted its trial run on the extended route from the Secretariat to Mahatma Mandir on Thursday, coinciding with the celebration of Dussehra. The trial covered five new stations — Akshardham, Old Secretariat, Sector-16, Sector-24, and Mahatma Mandir, the terminal stop. Previously, metro services in Gandhinagar were operational only up to the Secretariat station. With this extension, the project has taken a significant step towards full-scale operations across Gandhinagar. Officials confirmed that a proposal will now be submitted to the Commissioner of Me..