India offers 20 critical mineral blocks across 8 states in ninth auction tranche

The Indian Ministry of Mines has initiated the ninth auction tranche of critical and strategic mineral blocks, offering 20 blocks across eight states to bolster domestic mineral availability and attract private sector investment. This latest auction follows eight previous tranches, during which 100 unique blocks were offered, of which 64 were successfully auctioned, achieving a 64% success rate.

The 20 blocks in this tranche include graphite, glauconite, vanadium, gallium, titanium, rare earth elements, bauxite, aluminous laterite, potash, halite, and tungsten. Chhattisgarh leads with five blocks, followed by Rajasthan, Telangana, and West Bengal with three blocks each. Other states have one or two blocks each. The minerals targeted for auction are vital for various sectors such as clean energy technologies, electric mobility, advanced manufacturing, fertilizers, defense, aerospace, and electronics.

The government's objective is to enhance India's mineral security and support the nation's energy transition. Additionally, the Ministry has launched the third tranche of exploration licences for 29 critical and deep-seated minerals, including copper, vanadium, rare earth elements, potash, and halite. These licences, introduced under Section 10BA of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, enable private companies to participate in exploration before actual mining commences.

So far, 11 exploration licence blocks have been successfully auctioned in the first two tranches. The government has also introduced amendments to the Mineral (Auction) Third Amendment Rules, 2026, reducing the minimum number of qualified bidders required from three to two for the second round of auction, aiming to address issues of unsold blocks in previous rounds.