India’s first-ever Exploration Licence (EL) auction

The Union Ministry of Mines, in collaboration with the Goa government on March 12 launched India’s first-ever Exploration Licence (EL) auction, marking a significant step toward unlocking the country’s critical and deep-seated mineral reserves.

• The event concluded with the auction of 13 exploration license blocks, covering critical minerals such as Rare Earth Elements (REEs), zinc, diamonds, copper, and Platinum Group Elements.

• The transparent bidding process aims to accelerate mineral exploration, encourage private sector participation, and enhance India’s technological and energy independence.

• Additionally, they inaugurated the AI Hackathon 2025, themed “Mineral Targeting using Artificial Intelligence,” aimed at utilizing advanced datasets to identify hidden mineral deposits and promote innovation in sustainable mining practices.