PIB TrackerMines Ministry to auction 20 more critical-mineral blocks — 8th tranche spans lithium, REEs, graphite and vanadium
The Ministry of Mines will launch its 8th tranche of critical and strategic mineral-block auctions — 20 blocks across nine States (13 newly identified) covering minerals like Lithium, Rare Earth Elements, Graphite, Vanadium, Gallium and Tungsten — taking cumulative auctioned blocks to 56 of 88, part of the National Critical Mineral Mission's supply-security push.
What happened
- The Ministry of Mines will launch the 8th tranche of critical & strategic mineral-block auctions on 15 July 2026 (Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy).
- It comprises 20 blocks across nine States — 13 newly identified and 7 under a second attempt.
- The portfolio spans Lithium, Rare Earth Elements, Graphite, Vanadium, Gallium, Tungsten, Titanium, Molybdenum, Potash and more.
- Cumulatively, 56 of 88 critical-mineral blocks have been auctioned — a 63%+ success rate.
- The regime rests on the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 (central auction of 24 critical minerals) and the National Critical Mineral Mission (approved Jan 2025).
For Prelims
- Critical minerals: Minerals essential for the energy transition, electronics, defence and advanced manufacturing whose supply is at risk (e.g. Lithium, REEs, Cobalt, Graphite, Gallium).
- MMDR Amendment Act, 2023: Empowered the Central Government to auction 24 critical & strategic minerals (listed in Part D, Schedule I) and removed several from the atomic-minerals list to open them to private mining.
- National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM): Approved 29 January 2025, ~Rs 16,300 crore over 2024-25 to 2030-31 — for exploration, domestic production, recycling and overseas acquisition of critical minerals.
- Rare Earth Elements (REE): 17 elements vital for magnets, EVs, wind turbines and defence; supply is globally concentrated, making domestic sourcing strategic.
- Composite Licence / Mining Lease: Blocks are auctioned as Mining Leases (proven) or Composite Licences (exploration + mining) to private bidders.
- KABIL: Khanij Bidesh India Ltd — a PSU JV to acquire critical-mineral assets abroad (e.g. Lithium in Argentina), complementing domestic auctions.
For UPSC: A core economy-and-strategic-resources item — securing critical-mineral supply chains for the energy transition and defence, via domestic auctions (MMDR 2023) and the NCMM. Use it for resource security, the lithium/REE dependence and China-concentration risk, and the mix of domestic exploration, recycling and overseas acquisition (KABIL).
What it is NOT: This is the launch of an auction tranche (blocks offered to bidders), not the start of production — exploration and development follow the award. The MMDR 2023 amendment and the NCMM (2025) are the enabling framework; this tranche is one step in the ongoing rollout.
For Mains
Syllabus: GS3.1 · GS1.11 · Linkage L2
Anchor
Resource security — auctioning critical-mineral blocks to build domestic supply chains for the energy transition and strategic sectors.
Substantiation (data)
8th tranche: 20 blocks across nine States (13 new, 7 re-offered); Lithium/REE/Graphite/Vanadium/Gallium/Tungsten etc.; 56 of 88 blocks auctioned (63%+); under MMDR 2023 and the NCMM (Jan 2025, ~₹16,300 cr).
Exemplification
Central auction of 24 critical minerals (MMDR 2023), Composite Licences for exploration, and KABIL for overseas acquisition.
Problematisation
Global supply concentration (esp. China) in REEs/processing, long lead times from auction to production, and environmental/tribal-land concerns in mining.
Way-forward
Combine domestic exploration and recycling with overseas acquisition and processing capacity, while ensuring sustainable, community-sensitive mining.
Position
Securing critical minerals is a strategic-autonomy imperative for India's clean-energy and manufacturing ambitions.
Deploys into: Economy — resources and the mineral economy (GS3.1, GS1.11) · critical-mineral security, the MMDR Amendment Act 2023, the National Critical Mineral Mission (2025), REE/lithium dependence and KABIL.
Ministry of Mines · 2026-07-14 · PRID 2284539 · PIB source ↗