India Launches Ninth Tranche of Critical Mineral Block Auctions Across Eight States

The Ministry of Mines has initiated the ninth tranche of auctions for critical and strategic mineral blocks, putting 20 blocks across eight states on offer. The move is part of ongoing government efforts to secure domestic mineral availability and increase private sector participation in the mining sector.

This latest round follows eight previous tranches in which the government offered 100 unique critical and strategic mineral blocks. According to official data from the Ministry of Mines, 64 of those blocks were successfully auctioned, resulting in a success rate of 64 percent.

The 20 blocks in the current tranche are distributed across Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, and West Bengal. Chhattisgarh accounts for the highest number with five blocks, followed by Rajasthan, Telangana, and West Bengal with three blocks each. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have two blocks each, while Andhra Pradesh and Bihar have one block each.

The minerals included in this tranche are graphite, glauconite, vanadium, gallium, titanium, rare earth elements, bauxite, aluminous laterite, potash, halite, and tungsten. The government has noted that these minerals are vital for various sectors, including clean energy technologies, electric mobility, advanced manufacturing, fertilisers, defence, aerospace, and electronics.

Alongside the mineral block auctions, the Ministry has also launched the third tranche of auctions for the grant of Exploration Licences (EL). These exploration licence blocks are located in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Gujarat, covering minerals such as copper, vanadium, rare earth elements, potash, and halite with associated mineralisation.

Exploration Licences, introduced via Section 10BA of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, enable private companies to participate in the exploration of 29 critical and deep-seated minerals listed in the Seventh Schedule of the Act prior to mining operations. To date, 11 exploration licence blocks have been successfully auctioned across the first two tranches.

To address factors that led to unsold blocks in past auctions, the government introduced regulatory changes under the Mineral (Auction) Third Amendment Rules, 2026, notified on October 16. This amendment reduced the minimum number of technically qualified bidders required for the second round of auctions for Part D minerals from three to two. This updated framework has been integrated into the tender documents for the current auction rounds.

"The steady push by the Ministry of Mines to auction critical mineral blocks is a critical step for India's industrial and energy transition sectors. By opening up exploration licences to private players and lowering bidder thresholds to streamline auctions, the government is creating vital opportunities for private sector participation in domestic resource development, which directly supports clean energy, manufacturing, and advanced technologies." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes