As of 23 June 2026, the Ministry of Mines has auctioned 56 critical and strategic mineral blocks out of 88 offered. The Seventh Tranche, completed by 24 June 2026, awarded 10 blocks including graphite and rare earth elements.
Key auction numbers
- Blocks auctioned: 56 of 88 unique critical/strategic blocks; success rate >63% (as of 23 June 2026).
- Seventh tranche: 10 mineral blocks awarded (completed by 24 June 2026).
Seventh tranche — minerals & geography
- Minerals: Graphite; Rare Earth Elements (REE); Vanadium; Titanium; Glauconite; Rock Phosphate.
- New states: Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Telangana — first-time central auction of critical mineral blocks in these states.
Exploration Licence (EL) auctions
- Second tranche: EL auctions expanded to Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha.
- Cumulative EL blocks: 11 EL blocks auctioned (by 23 June 2026).
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Legal framework: Auctions conducted under Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015.
- Mission objective: Reduce import dependence and support clean energy, electric mobility, defence and advanced manufacturing.
- Critical minerals: Typically include REE, graphite, vanadium and others vital for batteries, magnets, alloys and specialised chemicals.