The Ministry of Mines successfully auctioned 10 critical and strategic mineral blocks under the 7th Tranche, taking the total to 56 auctioned blocks out of 88 offered (over 63% success rate).

For the first time, critical mineral blocks were auctioned in Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Telangana, covering minerals such as Graphite, Rare Earth Elements (REE), Vanadium, Titanium, and Rock Phosphate.

The Ministry also completed the 2nd Tranche of Exploration Licence (EL) auctions, increasing the total EL blocks auctioned to 11 and expanding EL auctions to Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.

These initiatives support the National Critical Mineral Mission by promoting exploration, attracting investment, reducing import dependence, and strengthening domestic supply chains for clean energy, EVs, electronics, and defence sectors.