Mining Tenement System and Critical Mineral Push

07 Apr 2025 CW Team

At the 3rd National Mining Ministers’ Conference held in January 2025, key discussions centered around India’s growing need for critical minerals and the government's strategy to ensure a sustainable, long-term supply. Attended by mining ministers from mineral-rich states, industry leaders, and stakeholders, the conference emphasised the National Critical Mineral Mission, which targets end-to-end development of India's critical mineral value chains—from exploration to mining, processing, and recycling.

State governments were urged to:

Fast-track operationalisation of auctioned mines
Promote R&D in critical minerals
Integrate exploration data with the National Geoscience Data Repository
Encourage companies to import and develop foreign critical mineral assets to bolster domestic supply

A key highlight of the conference was the launch of the fifth tranche auction for 15 critical mineral blocks across eight states, covering vital resources such as Graphite, Tungsten, Rare Earth Elements (REEs), and Nickel.

These measures aim to strengthen India’s mineral security, reduce import dependency, and drive self-reliance in critical mineral supply chains, vital for the country’s clean energy, electronics, and strategic manufacturing sectors.

(PIB)

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