AP Minister Favours Self-Sufficiency In Minerals At All-India Summit
The coalition government in Andhra Pradesh assumed office when its mining sector had been going through several challenges: Kollu Ravindra
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Mines and Geology minister Kollu Ravindra on Friday called for building a self-reliant mining ecosystem to reduce India’s dependence on other countries for critical minerals, so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat is realised.
Addressing the Rastriya Khanij Chintan Shivir–2026, a national conference of mining ministers, held at Gandhinagar in Gujarat, Ravindra said India must focus on domestic mining, processing and value addition, particularly in critical minerals utilised in renewable energy, electric mobility, electronics and defence sectors.
Union Coal and Mines minister G. Kishan Reddy is among the organisers of the Chintan Shivir.
The AP minister said the coalition government in Andhra Pradesh assumed office when its mining sector had been going through several challenges. Decisive reforms led to enhanced efficiency and increase in revenues. In 2025–26, AP issued tenders for 41 major mineral blocks and completed auctions for 10 blocks — the highest in a single financial year since 2015.
Ravindra pointed out that the Andhra Pradesh Minor Mineral Policy launched in April 2025 introduced simultaneous auction and application processes, deferred premium payments, extended lease periods, online processing of leases, incentives for recycling of waste material, and a one-time settlement of long-pending penalty cases.
The NDA coalition government implemented its election promise of implementing a free sand policy, supplying over 20 million tonnes of sand by collecting only maintenance costs. This, the AP minister said, strengthened the construction sector and ensured affordable access for the public to sand. The AP sand management system went on to win the SKOCH Silver Award for good governance, a standing testimony of the government’s transparent and effective policies.
Ravindra said Gross Value Added by mining in AP increased from 1.83 per cent to 2.41 per cent, reflecting policy credibility. Noting China’s dominance in global critical mineral supply chains, he stressed the need for India to optimally utilise its vast critical mineral resources.
The minister welcomed the announcement of a mineral processing park in AP, as one-third of India’s coastal sand mineral reserves are located in Andhra Pradesh. He requested the Union government to establish a Centre of Excellence at Machilipatnam, along with strategic stockyards.
Kollu Ravindra pitched for integrated exploration and processing of deep-seated minerals, faster approvals through a strong single-window digital system, and a pragmatic case-by-case approach for reviving non-operational mining leases.
The minister underlined that AP aims to attract maximum private investment and create 20 lakh jobs in the next three years. He referred to the recent Forbes report that Andhra Pradesh has attracted 25 per cent of India’s FDI inflows in 2025–26, which reflects growing investor confidence.
