en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Ministry of Mines has completed the seventh tranche of auctions for critical and strategic mineral blocks, bringing the total number of such blocks successfully auctioned to 56; concurrently, the second tranche of Exploration License (EL) auctions has also been completed, with a cumulative total of 11 exploration license blocks successfully auctioned.
In the seventh tranche of auctions launched by the central government, 10 critical and strategic mineral blocks were successfully awarded, pushing the overall auction success rate to over 63%—out of 88 exclusive mineral blocks listed by the central government, 56 found buyers. This tranche, for the first time, included Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Telangana in the critical mineral block auctions, involving graphite, rare earth elements, vanadium, titanium, glauconite, phosphorite, and associated minerals, significantly expanding the geographical scope of India's critical mineral exploration.
The seventh tranche of auctions was conducted under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and the Minerals (Auction) Rules, 2015 (as amended). The invitation for bids, issued on March 23, 2026, covered a total of 19 blocks containing critical and strategic minerals.
Concurrent with the critical mineral auctions, the second tranche of exploration license auctions marks the first time the central government has extended the exploration license framework to Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha, opening new avenues for systematic exploration of critical and deep-seated minerals. To date, since the launch of the exploration license auction mechanism, the central government has cumulatively auctioned 11 exploration license blocks across two tranches, a mechanism that is attracting participation from private and public sector entities in exploration.
The Ministry of Mines stated that the successive successes of the critical mineral and exploration license auctions reflect growing industry confidence in India's mineral sector and validate the effectiveness of policy reforms implemented by the government to promote systematic exploration, attract investment, and strengthen the domestic mineral supply chain. These initiatives will accelerate the exploration and development of critical minerals essential for strategic sectors such as clean energy technologies, electric mobility, renewable energy systems, advanced manufacturing, electronics, and defense, contributing to the goals of the National Critical Minerals Mission, reducing import dependence, and building a reliable pipeline of critical and strategic mineral assets.
The Ministry of Mines expressed gratitude to all bidding parties, state governments, technical institutions, and other stakeholders for their support and cooperation, and pledged to continue expanding exploration opportunities to create a transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly domestic mineral ecosystem.
