New Delhi: Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy, along with Minister of State Satish Chandra Dubey, on Wednesday launched the eighth tranche of the e-auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks at the curtain raiser for India Mining Week 2026. The tranche offers 20 blocks across nine states, comprising 13 newly identified blocks and seven put up under the "Second Attempt" provision of the Mineral (Auction) Rules. The ministry dubbed the auction launch as another milestone in strengthening India's mineral security, cutting import dependence and building resilient supply chains for clean energy, advanced manufacturing, defence and aerospace.
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Reddy said India Mining Week marked the beginning of a premier platform bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, technology providers and academia to accelerate the growth of the mining sector. The eighth tranche, he said, reflected the government's continued commitment to strengthening mineral security, attracting investment and unlocking India's mineral potential to build a globally competitive and future-ready mining ecosystem.
Dubey said mining was a key pillar of nation-building, energy security and Viksit Bharat. He pointed to transformative reforms in the sector — commercial mining, digital governance and greater private sector participation — as drivers of transparency, efficiency and sustainable growth, while ensuring that the benefits of mining reach local communities.
Mines Secretary Piyush Goyal said India Mining Week is envisioned as an annual global platform to showcase India's mining potential, encourage technology adoption and foster partnerships among governments, industry and investors. He noted that the eighth tranche's 20 blocks across nine states take the total number of critical mineral blocks offered to 88, of which 56 have already been successfully auctioned — a figure he said reflects growing industry confidence in India's reform-driven mining sector.
The 20 blocks span a diverse portfolio of minerals critical to clean energy, electric mobility, fertilizers, electronics and strategic industries. Chhattisgarh leads with five blocks covering glauconite, vanadium, gallium, titanium, rare earth elements (REE), bauxite, aluminous laterite, phosphorite and limestone. Bihar and Odisha follow with three blocks each — Bihar offering glauconite and vanadium-bearing magnetite-ilmenite, and Odisha with vanadium, titanium, manganese and graphite on offer.
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan each have two blocks: Andhra Pradesh for molybdenum and graphite; Maharashtra for REE, vanadium, gallium, titanium, bauxite and aluminous laterite; and Rajasthan for potash and halite, and tungsten. Punjab, Telangana and West Bengal contribute one block each — Punjab with potash and halite, Telangana with titanium, vanadium, gallium and aluminous laterite, and West Bengal with a rare-metal block containing lithium, cesium and rubidium.
The sale of tender documents began on Wednesday, July 15. The last date to purchase tender documents is September 14 (5:00 pm IST), and the deadline for bid submission, technical bid and initial price offer, is September 21 (5:00 pm IST). The auction will be conducted online through a transparent two-stage ascending forward process on the MSTC e-auction platform, with the preferred bidder selected on the basis of the highest percentage of the value of mineral dispatched.
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The ministry said the launch reinforces the government's commitment to domestic mineral security, private sector participation and building a resilient, self-reliant and globally competitive mineral sector in line with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.