Govt prioritises auction-ready critical mineral blocks, faster exploration timelines

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• GSI to fast-track critical mineral deposit auctions under new mining law
• Govt aims to finish exploration projects within a year, speeding up approvals
• Focus on extracting minerals from existing mine waste to boost domestic supply

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The government has asked the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to prioritise the identification of critical mineral deposits that can be quickly put up for auction under the amended mining law. In addition, the Centre is planning faster approvals so that exploration projects can be completed within a year, instead of running over multiple field seasons.

“The GSI has lined up nearly 300 projects on critical and strategic minerals as part of its 1,068-project exploration plan for 2026–27,” said Piyush Goyal, Secretary, Ministry of Mines.

“Almost 55% of 1,068 projects planned for FY27 are exploration-oriented, with a strong focus on critical and strategic minerals. The objective is to reduce the time lag between discovery and commercial mining,” he said.

As greenfield exploration and mining would still take time, the government has, in the interim, also asked exploration and mining agencies to recover critical and strategic minerals from existing mine waste. This includes extracting minerals from dumps, tailings and overburden, a move aimed at boosting domestic supplies faster than opening new mines.

The push comes amid rising concerns over India’s dependence on imports for key critical minerals, many of which are dominated by China across mining, processing and refining. These minerals are essential for electric vehicles, battery storage, renewable energy equipment, electronics and defence applications. To address supply risks, the government last year launched the National Critical Mineral Mission, aimed at accelerating domestic exploration, overseas acquisitions and processing capacity.

GSI’s FY27 exploration programme as mentioned above, reflects a shift in the government's strategy, with a larger share of work now focused on establishing mineable, auction-ready deposits, rather than broad regional surveys that often take years without translating into production.

“A key change in the FY27 plan is the increase in advanced-stage (G3) exploration. GSI has raised G3-stage projects by 46%, focusing on drilling and detailed evaluation to establish economically viable resources that can be taken up for auction,” Goyal said.

G3 exploration refers to advanced drilling and sampling to confirm the size, quality and economic viability of a mineral deposit.

Besides, the Centre has also asked state geology and mining departments to upload data on the National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) so that exploration agencies can build on existing information and avoid duplication.

“The FY27 programme is aimed at moving from long surveys to time-bound exploration linked to auctions, while also tapping minerals from existing mine waste to augment supply,” a mines ministry official said.