The Ministry of Mines will launch the second tranche of auction of Exploration Licence (EL) blocks on 12 February 2026 at the Civil Services Officers' Institute in New Delhi, marking another milestone in ongoing reforms to strengthen mineral exploration and ensure long-term mineral security for critical and deep-seated minerals. The event will be attended by the Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, senior ministry officials and representatives of state governments, industry and other stakeholders. The launch is presented as part of a broader effort to attract investment and improve the exploration ecosystem. On the occasion the Ministry will unveil the Next Generation Digital Portal of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), which consolidates data acquisition, analysis, visualisation and dissemination on a single cloud-enabled platform. The portal is equipped with artificial intelligence and machine learning based tools and will interoperate with the National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) to support integrated datasets. Officials expect the portal to enhance transparency, increase efficiency and enable more data-driven decision-making across the mineral sector. A comprehensive roadshow programme for stakeholders will accompany the launch and will explain the EL framework, the auction methodology and the incentives available to explorers. Presentations will cover the e-auction process through the MSTC portal, auction rules and the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) scheme, which provides partial reimbursement of eligible exploration expenditure. An open house session is planned to allow participants to raise queries and offer suggestions. The second tranche builds upon the rollout of the first tranche, which comprised 13 Exploration Licence blocks covering critical minerals such as Rare Earth Elements (REE), zinc, diamond, copper and Platinum Group Elements (PGE), and was launched on 13 March 2025 in Goa. The Ministry frames the auctions and the digital tools as steps towards strengthening the national capability to identify and develop mineral resources and to support strategic priorities for the sector.