Centre auctions record 200 mineral blocks in FY26, highest ever

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday said it has sold a record 200 mineral blocks in 2025-26, the highest ever in a single year, with Tamil Nadu conducting auctions for the first time and Uttarakhand entering the fray by selling its maiden magnesite block.

Out of the 200 auctioned blocks, 123 are mining lease blocks and 77 are composite licence blocks, indicating a balanced mix of operational and exploration-focused opportunities.

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Additionally, notices inviting tenders (NITs) for 70 mineral blocks -- 38 mining leases (ML) and 32 composite licences (CL) -- are currently underway which is likely to further boost the total number of successful auctions in the financial year.

Gujarat led with 32 blocks, followed by Rajasthan with 30 blocks, and Tamil Nadu with 22 blocks, emerging as the top contributors, the Mines Ministry said in a statement.

Their efforts in timely block preparation, data management, and procedural efficiency have strengthened the national auction ecosystem.

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Notably, Tamil Nadu has successfully conducted mineral block auctions for the first time, marking an important milestone. Uttarakhand has also entered the mineral auction framework with the successful auction of its first magnesite block, the ministry said.

The ministry further said that in this year, 22 critical mineral blocks were auctioned, reflecting the increasing focus on minerals of strategic importance for long-term resource security. Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka, and Maharashtra played a major role in offering these blocks, contributing five, four, four, three and two blocks respectively.