Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Thursday launched the 2nd tranche of the auction of Exploration Licence (EL) blocks in New Delhi, marking another significant step towards strengthening India’s mineral exploration ecosystem.
Addressing the gathering, he underscored the need to reduce India’s dependence on mineral imports by accelerating domestic exploration and encouraging greater participation of the private sector alongside government agencies.
He reiterated that the government is committed to building a structured, transparent, and technology-driven exploration framework to unlock the country’s untapped mineral potential.
Emphasising the strategic importance of critical minerals, Reddy stated that a robust and efficient exploration regime will play a pivotal role in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and enhancing self-reliance in the mineral sector.
He further remarked that the Government of India is undertaking reforms across sectors in pursuit of the vision of Viksit Bharat. “These are not mere reforms, but a reform express,” he said, adding that the mining sector is also witnessing transformative changes aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency, and investment.
During the event, the minister also launched the Geological Survey of India’s (GSI) Next-Generation (NG) Portal — a cloud-enabled platform integrating data acquisition, analysis, visualisation, and dissemination.
Equipped with AI/ML-based tools and interoperable with the National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR), the portal is expected to significantly enhance transparency, efficiency and data-driven decision-making in mineral exploration.