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In a historic milestone for India's mining sector, a record 30 mineral blocks reached the operational stage during the financial year 2025-26. This performance marked the first time that such a high number of blocks became operational within a single financial year, signaling a major leap in the country's industrial capacity.
According to the Ministry of Mines on Tuesday, the achievement represented a significant shift toward faster execution and reflected focused efforts to translate successful auctions into actual ground-level production. The Ministry earlier noted that "more than 200 mineral blocks were auctioned during FY 2025-26, indicating strong momentum in the sector. The operationalisation of 30 blocks within the same year demonstrates significant progress in ensuring that auctioned blocks are brought into production in a time-bound manner." This development followed a series of targeted reform initiatives, including the implementation of streamlined procedures, the acquisition of faster statutory clearances, and the establishment of strengthened coordination with various state governments. "This achievement signifies a major shift towards faster execution and reflects the Government's focused efforts to translate auctions into actual production on the ground," the Ministry stated. Across the country, the operationalised blocks were distributed among several key mineral-rich states. Gujarat led the national tally with eight blocks, which included one bauxite block, one combined bauxite, limestone, and marl block, four limestone blocks, and two limestone and marl blocks. Madhya Pradesh and Odisha followed closely, with each state operationalising five blocks. Madhya Pradesh's contribution consisted of three limestone and two iron ore blocks, while Odisha focused on three combined iron ore and manganese blocks and two dedicated iron ore blocks. Goa saw four iron ore blocks become operational, while Karnataka and Rajasthan each contributed two blocks, focusing on iron ore and limestone, respectively. Single blocks were also operationalised in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Assam, primarily involving limestone deposits. These blocks produced critical minerals such as iron ore, limestone, bauxite, and manganese, which remained essential for core industrial sectors including steel, cement, and infrastructure development. "This achievement aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and contributes to the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, as envisioned by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, by strengthening domestic mineral production and reducing import dependence. This milestone is expected to boost domestic mineral production, reduce import dependence, generate employment, and contribute to overall economic growth," the Ministry said. "The Ministry of Mines remains committed to sustaining this momentum and further accelerating the operationalisation of mineral blocks in the coming years." (ANI)
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