New Delhi, 22 March (H.S.):

Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy will inaugurate the seventh tranche of auctions for critical and strategic mineral blocks on Monday, 23 March 2026. The event will be held in the presence of Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, underscoring the government’s push to secure key raw materials for clean‑energy and advanced‑technology sectors.

The Ministry of Mines has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, on 17 August 2023, classifying 24 minerals as critical and strategic. This amendment empowers the central government to auction mining leases and composite licences for these minerals, with the revenue generated to be passed on to the respective state governments. So far, the ministry has completed six auction tranches, successfully allotting 46 blocks across the country.

The upcoming seventh tranche will put 19 mineral blocks from different states up for sale. These blocks are linked to minerals essential for clean energy, high‑tech manufacturing, fertiliser production and strategic industries. The list includes lithium, graphite, rare‑earth elements, tungsten, vanadium and titanium, for which global demand has surged amid the shift to renewables and next‑generation technologies.

To make the process faster and more transparent, the government has introduced reforms through the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2025, and the Mineral (Auction) Amendment Rules, 2026. Post‑auction procedures have been simplified, and an insurance‑backed surety bond has been introduced as an alternative to traditional bank guarantees.

The entire auction will be conducted online in a two‑stage, fully transparent process, with the block going to the highest bidder.

With global supply chains facing volatility, the latest round of mineral auctions is being seen as a major step towards India’s self‑reliance in critical raw materials and its long‑term resource security for strategic industries.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar