Government to launch second round of critical minerals auction before February

The move comes as India looks to strengthen the domestic supply of raw materials required to support its shift to green energy

The Ministry of Mines will conduct the auction for the second tranche of the strategic and critical minerals next year before February, Union Minister of  Coal & Mines Pralhad Joshi said on December 19 while speaking at the launch event of the National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) portal and roadshow on critical minerals.

"More than 100 blocks of strategic and critical minerals will be brought for auction next year before February and these blocks are ready with us," Joshi said. The comments come nearly three weeks after the ministry launched the auction for the first tranche auction of critical and strategic minerals such as lithium and graphite.

The move comes as India looks to strengthen the domestic supply of raw materials required to support its shift to green energy. Last month, 20 critical mineral blocks, spread across the country in states including Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, were auctioned.

The blocks contained minerals such as lithium, platinum-group elements, graphite, molybdenum, potash, phosphorite, rare earth elements, and glauconite.

Meanwhile, the ministry launched the NGDR portal to enhance innovation in exploration. The portal is a comprehensive online platform for accessing, sharing, and analyzing geospatial information across the nation, the ministry said in a statement on December 18.