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New Delhi: The Ministry of Mines has launched the ninth tranche of e-auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks and the third tranche of auction for grant of Exploration Licences (EL), as the government steps up efforts to strengthen domestic mineral availability and attract private investment in mineral exploration.
The auction tranches were launched by Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant attending as the Chief Guest. Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey was also present at the event, which saw participation from senior Central and state government officials, public sector undertakings and other stakeholders.
Under the ninth tranche, the government has put 20 critical and strategic mineral blocks up for auction under the provisions of the Mineral (Auction) Rules. In the previous eight tranches, 100 unique blocks were offered, of which 64 were successfully auctioned.
The blocks cover a range of strategically important minerals required for clean energy technologies, electric mobility, advanced manufacturing, fertilisers, defence, aerospace and electronics. The initiative is aimed at strengthening India's mineral security and supporting its energy transition.
Alongside the critical mineral block auction, the ministry has launched the third tranche of the Exploration Licence auction. Introduced through Section 10BA of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, Exploration Licences are intended to facilitate private sector participation in the exploration of 29 critical and deep-seated minerals specified in the Seventh Schedule of the Act.
The framework allows private entities to undertake mineral exploration even before the commencement of mining operations. In the first two tranches, 11 Exploration Licence blocks were successfully auctioned.
To improve auction outcomes and address challenges in the sale of mineral blocks, the government has notified the Mineral (Auction) Third Amendment Rules, 2026, on October 16, 2026.
Under the amendment, the minimum number of technically qualified bidders required for the second round of auction has been reduced from three to two for Part D minerals. The revised provision has been incorporated into the tender documents for both the latest auction tranches.
The government has also introduced automatic issuance of Letters of Intent (LoIs) through the Unified Mining Portal. These measures build on earlier reforms, including the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2025, and the introduction of Insurance Surety Bonds, aimed at improving ease of doing business and strengthening investor confidence.
The sale of tender documents for both auction processes commenced on November 5, 2026. The last date for purchasing tender documents is January 1, 2027, up to 5:00 PM IST, while bids comprising technical bids and initial price offers must be submitted by January 7, 2027, up to 5:00 PM IST.
Critical mineral blocks offered under Composite Licence and Mining Lease will be auctioned through a two-stage ascending forward auction process, with the bidder offering the highest percentage of revenue share emerging as the successful bidder.
Exploration Licence blocks, on the other hand, will be auctioned through a two-stage descending reverse auction, in which the bidder quoting the lowest percentage share of the revenue share payable to the future lessee will be selected.
The auction process will be conducted online through the MSTC e-auction platform.
With the latest auction rounds and regulatory changes, the government aims to accelerate mineral exploration, encourage private sector participation and promote responsible mining, while reducing dependence on imports and building a resilient domestic critical minerals ecosystem.
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