Govt Launches Exploration Licence for Critical Minerals

The licenses are for minerals like REE, copper, diamond, zinc, PGE and others

- Press Trust of India

PANAJI: Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday launched the nation's first-ever auction of Exploration Licences (ELs) for 13 exploration blocks for critical minerals.

Reddy launched the ELs in the presence of Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant in Dona Paula near here, a major reform aimed to unlock India's untapped critical and deep-seated mineral resources.

The licences are for the exploration blocks for minerals like REE (rare earth elements), zinc, diamond, copper, PGE (platinum group minerals) and others.

The programme also featured a roadshow on the 5th Tranche of Critical Mineral Blocks and the launch of AI Hackathon 2025, a Mineral Exploration Hackathon focused on "Mineral Targeting using AI" (Artificial Intelligence).