GSI Undertakes 94 Exploration Projects For Rees In FY26

GSI carried out 628 mineral exploration projects on various critical and strategic minerals including 261 projects exclusively targeting Rare Earth Elements (REEs) from field seasons 2020-21 to 2024-25.

In the field season 2025-26, GSI has taken up 230 mineral exploration projects for critical minerals of which 94 projects are focused on the exploration of REEs, the government informed the Lok Sabha.

Under the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) 196 projects on critical and strategic minerals amounting to Rs 575 crores have been sanctioned.

Till date, 34 critical and strategic mineral blocks have been successfully auctioned by the Central Government. The Ministry of Mines has also notified 33 private exploration agencies for taking up exploration projects through funding from National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET). The National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) launched in January 2025 aims at securing a long-term sustainable supply of critical minerals and strengthening the country’s critical mineral value chains.

To promote Electric Vehicles, Rs.780 crore is allocated under PM E-DRIVE for upgradation of testing agencies especially for EV related testing and R&D efforts.

The International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad has developed several advanced technologies for Lithium and Sodium ion and Lithium Sulphur batteries, fabrication and validation of cylindrical and pouch cells, development of cost-effective and high-performance composite PCMS for battery thermal management systems in EV Applications, development of Aluminium-ion battery as alternative to LIBs in EV and ESS applications, and development of Hybrid-models for accelerated service life prediction of LIBs and other battery systems