Centre Auctions 56 Critical Mineral Blocks, 11 Exploration Licence Blocks

New Delhi, Jun 24 (KNN) The Ministry of Mines has auctioned 56 critical and strategic mineral blocks, and 11 exploration licence (EL) blocks.

This marks further progress in the government's efforts to strengthen domestic mineral supply chains and expand mineral exploration.

The latest round of auctions saw 10 critical and strategic mineral blocks awarded under the seventh tranche of auctions conducted by the Centre. With this, 56 out of 88 unique mineral blocks offered so far have been successfully auctioned, translating into a success rate of over 63 per cent.

The seventh tranche included blocks containing graphite, rare earth elements (REE), vanadium, titanium, glauconite and rock phosphate. It also marked the first auction of critical mineral blocks by the Centre in Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Telangana.

The ministry said the seventh tranche, launched in March 2026, offered 19 critical and strategic mineral blocks under the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and the Mineral (Auction) Rules.

Separately, the government completed the second tranche of Exploration Licence (EL) auctions, taking the total number of EL blocks auctioned since the introduction of the regime to 11. The latest tranche expanded the exploration licence framework to Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

The Exploration Licence framework is intended to facilitate systematic exploration of critical and deep-seated minerals by enabling participation from both public and private sector entities.

The ministry said the auctions are aimed at accelerating the exploration and development of minerals used in sectors such as clean energy, electric mobility, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, electronics and defence.

(KNN Bureau)