The first day of the two-day 4th Conference of Mining Ministers, organised by the Ministry of Mines in Goa, witnessed the participation of Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant; Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy; Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Shri Satish Chandra Dubey; Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Keshav Chandra; Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Mining Ministers from various States; and senior officials from the Ministries of Mines and Coal.
The day witnessed the launch of three significant initiatives aimed at strengthening mineral exploration, enhancing transparency and promoting technology-driven mineral governance. The 9th Tranche of Critical and Strategic Mineral Block Auction was launched, offering 20 mineral blocks across 8 States, including strategically important minerals such as Rare Earth Elements, Graphite and Vanadium. This was followed by the launch of the 3rd Tranche of Exploration Licence Auction, comprising 11 exploration blocks across 6 States, unlocking the country’s untapped mineral potential.
The dignitaries also launched ANVESH and EKAM, two digital portals developed by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), to strengthen data-driven governance and informed decision-making. ANVESH (Analytics and Navigation for Valuation, Evaluation and Strategic Headway in Mining) will facilitate access to and analysis of important mining-related data, including mineral production, despatch, sale quantities, average sale prices and imports and exports. These initiatives mark important steps towards strengthening India’s mineral security and modernising the mining ecosystem.
Addressing the conference, Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Shri Satish Chandra Dubey, highlighted the importance of effective coordination between the Centre and States, strengthening exploration activities and addressing challenges in the mining sector.
Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, highlighted the importance of the mining sector in Goa’s economic development and emphasised sustainable mining practices, responsible resource utilisation and cooperation between the Centre and States.
Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, underscored the strategic importance of the mining and coal sectors in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. He emphasised strengthening domestic mineral production, accelerating exploration, promoting processing, refining and recycling of critical minerals, adopting modern technologies and enhancing Centre–State cooperation.
Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Keshav Chandra, highlighted the importance of active participation by States and close coordination with the Central Government for the effective development of the mining sector. He emphasised the need to address challenges, accelerate mineral exploration and unlock the country’s mineral potential.
Secretary, Ministry of Coal, highlighted key priorities of coal sector and the importance of coordinated efforts between the Centre and States in strengthening the coal sector and addressing emerging challenges.
The Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines, made a detailed presentation on key developments, initiatives and priorities in the mining sector, covering mineral exploration, auction of mineral blocks, critical and strategic minerals, domestic mineral production and issues requiring coordinated action by the Centre and States. The Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, also made a detailed presentation on key issues, sectoral challenges and priority initiatives for strengthening the coal sector.
Mining Ministers from participating States shared detailed perspectives on the challenges, issues and priorities concerning the mining sector in their respective States. They highlighted State-specific concerns, implementation-related challenges and areas requiring the attention and support of the Central Government. The discussions provided an important platform for States to present their views, share experiences and deliberate on measures to address bottlenecks and accelerate the development of the mining sector.
The first day concluded with constructive deliberations and a renewed emphasis on strengthening Centre–State coordination, addressing the concerns of States and advancing the development of India’s mining and coal sectors. The conference will continue on 6 November 2026 with further discussions on key priorities and the way forward.