Lok Sabha Question No. 2552 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Critical Mineral Reserves
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri Sribharat Mathukumilli

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2552

ANSWERED ON 11.12.2024

## CRITICAL MINERAL RESERVES

## 2552 SHRI SRIBHARAT MATHUKUMILLI

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of critical mineral reserves including Cobalt, Lithium and Nickel, Statewise;
- (b) whether any exploration efforts have been undertaken by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) or other agencies to identify critical mineral reserves; (c) if so, the details of the findings of such exploration initiatives, State-wise including Andhra  Pradesh  and  the  estimated  timeline  for  the  commencement  of  domestic production; (d)  the  details  of  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  reduce  India's  import dependency on critical minerals including strategies to diversify imports and develop domestic refining and processing capabilities; (e) whether the Government has initiated any bilateral or multilateral partnerships with
- mineral-rich countries and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)  the  current  status  of  auctions  and  planned  mining  initiatives  under  the  Critical Minerals  Mission  along  with  the  details  of  financial  or  technological  support  being provided to promote domestic production?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a): The details of critical mineral reserves including Cobalt, Lithium and Nickel, Statewise, is given at Annexure I.

(b) & (c): Yes, Sir. Geological Survey of India (GSI) had taken up 433 exploration projects in field seasons (FS) 2020-21 to 2023-24, and has taken up another 195 projects in FS 2024-25 to assess the potential of various critical minerals. Further, GSI has taken an initiative for assessment of secondary enrichment zones for Critical Minerals  in  nationwide  scale  through  its  Critical  Mineral  Assessment  Program (CMAP). In FS 2024-25, 16 CMAP projects have been taken up in the States of Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Jharkhand,  Odisha,  Andhra  Pradesh,  Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Manipur and Meghalaya.

The State-wise details of resource augmented for various critical minerals by GSI is placed  at  Annexure-II.  59  resource  bearing  Geological  Reports  (GRs)  and  65 Geological Memorandums (GM) of GSI on critical mineral commodities have been handed over to the concerned State/Central Governments for auctioning.In respect of Andhra Pradesh, 4 GRs and 2 GMs on critical mineral commodities have been handed over, the details of which are at Annexure-III.

Further, funding for 54 critical mineral exploration projects by Mineral Exploration & Consultancy Ltd. (MECL) and for 29 critical mineral exploration projects by 9 notified private  exploration  agencies  have  been  approved so far from the National  Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET).

(d): The Government has, inter-alia , taken the following steps to reduce India's import dependency and build supply chain resilience in critical minerals, including strategies to diversify imports and develop domestic refining and processing capabilities.

-  Central Government has been empowered to exclusively auction mining lease and  composite  license  for  24  critical  minerals,  with  an  aim  to  increase exploration and mining of critical minerals and ensure self-sufficiency in their supply. 24 blocks have been successfully auctioned so far. Moreover, royalty rates of critical minerals have  been  rationalized to encourage  greater participation in auctions.
-  A new mineral concession namely, Exploration License has been introduced for  29  deep-seated  minerals  such  as  Cobalt,  Lithium  and  Nickel,  which  are difficult to explore and mine.
-  NMET has been funding critical mineral exploration projects through various exploration agencies.
-  The Government has announced in the Union Budget 2024-25 the setting up of  a  Critical  Mineral  Mission  for  a  harmonized  approach  in  areas  including domestic production, recycling, overseas acquisition of critical mineral assets, and research & development (R&D).
-  A framework is being designed to encourage the Indian industry to develop recycling capacity in the country for the separation and production of critical minerals from secondary sources through recycling.
-  As part of the Union Budget 2024-25 announcements, import duties have been eliminated for 25 critical minerals to diversify import source and support their easy  evacuation  to  the  country,  and  to  encourage  domestic  refining  and processing.

(e):  Yes,  Sir.  The  Government  has  been  working  to  build  bilateral  or  multilateral partnerships with mineral-rich countries, the details of which are as under:

-  The  Government  has  entered  into  bilateral  Memoranda  of  Understanding (MoUs)  with  the  Governments  of  a  number  of  countries  such  as  Australia, Argentina, Zambia, Peru, Zimbabwe, Bolivia, Morocco, Mali, Colombia, Chile,

Mozambique, Malawi, Cote D'Ivoire and also international organizations such as International Energy Agency (IEA).

-  The Government is engaging in various multilateral and bilateral platforms such as Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF),  and  initiative  on  Critical  and  Emerging  Technologies  (iCET)  for strengthening the critical minerals value chain.
-  Under the aegis of Ministry of Mines, a joint venture company named Khanij Bidesh  India  Ltd.  (KABIL)  has  been  incorporated  to  acquire  critical  mineral assets overseas. KABIL  has signed an Exploration and  Development Agreement  with  M/s  CAMYEN,  a  State-owned  enterprise  of  Catamarca province  of  Argentina,  for  exploration  and  mining  of  five  Lithium  blocks  in Argentina.

(f):  The  Central Government has put up 48 critical and strategic mineral blocks for auction in four tranches so far, of which 24 blocks have been successfully auctioned.

Further, the Government has been promoting R&D and technological innovation in mining and metallurgy sector through its Science and Technology Programme. Due to increased emphasis on critical minerals, focus on critical mineral extraction has been added as a thrust area of the Programme. A total of 11 projects amounting to ₹5.79 crore  which  are  related  to  Critical  Minerals  have  been  sanctioned  under  the  said Programme during 2024-25 (till 05.12.2024).

*****

## Annexure I referred to in reply to part (a) of LS USQ No. 2552 answered on 11.12.2024 regarding CRITICAL MINERAL RESERVES

## Table: State-wise Reserves of Critical Minerals in India

|   # | Mineral                         | State          | Unit                    | Reserves    |
|-----|---------------------------------|----------------|-------------------------|-------------|
|   1 | Cobalt                          | All India      | Tonnes                  | 0           |
|   2 | Graphite                        | Chhattisgarh   | Tonnes                  | 5,282       |
|   2 | Graphite                        | Jharkhand      | Tonnes                  | 26,04,079   |
|   2 | Graphite                        | Kerala         | Tonnes                  | 15,443      |
|   2 | Graphite                        | Odisha         | Tonnes                  | 28,38,414   |
|   2 | Graphite                        | Tamil Nadu     | Tonnes                  | 31,00,193   |
|   2 | Graphite                        | All India      | Tonnes                  | 85,63,411   |
|   3 | Molybdenum                      | All India      | Tonnes                  | 0           |
|   4 | Nickel                          | All India      | Million Tonnes          | 0           |
|   5 | Phosphorous (Rock Phosphate)    | Madhya Pradesh | Tonnes                  | 90,31,093   |
|   5 | Phosphorous (Rock Phosphate)    | Rajasthan      | Tonnes                  | 2,18,45,000 |
|   5 | Phosphorous (Rock Phosphate)    | All India      | Tonnes                  | 3,08,76,093 |
|   6 | Platinum Group Of Metals (PGMs) | All India      | Tonnes of metal content | 0           |
|   7 | Potash                          | All India      | Million Tonnes          | 0           |
|   8 | Rare Earth Elements (REE)       | All India      | Tonnes                  | 0           |
|   9 | Tin                             |                |                         |             |
|   9 | Ore                             | Chhattisgarh   | Tonnes                  | 2,101       |
|   9 | Ore                             | All India      | Tonnes                  | 2,101       |
|   9 | Metal                           | Chhattisgarh   | Tonnes                  | 974         |
|   9 | Metal                           | All India      | Tonnes                  | 974         |
|  10 | Titanium                        | Kerala         | Tonnes                  | 23,70,712   |
|  10 | Titanium                        | Maharashtra    | Tonnes                  | 3,03,551    |
|  10 | Titanium                        | Odisha         | Tonnes                  | 1,26,54,141 |
|  10 | Titanium                        | Tamil Nadu     | Tonnes                  | 6,70,221    |
|  10 | Titanium                        | All India      | Tonnes                  | 1,59,98,625 |
|  11 | Tungsten                        | All India      | Tonnes                  | 0           |
|  12 | Vanadium                        | All India      | Tonnes                  | 0           |
|  13 | Zirconium                       | Kerala         | Tonnes                  | 1,56,509    |
|  13 | Zirconium                       | Odisha         | Tonnes                  | 4,76,672    |
|  13 | Zirconium                       | Tamil Nadu     | Tonnes                  | 36,285      |
|  13 | Zirconium                       | All India      | Tonnes                  | 6,69,466    |

## Annexure II referred to in reply to parts (b) & (c) of LS USQ No. 2552 answered on 11.12.2024 regarding CRITICAL MINERAL RESERVES

State-wise  details  of  cumulative  resource  augmented  by  GSI  (State-wise)  at various  cut-off  and  grades  since  MMDR  Amendment  Act,  2015  for  various critical and strategic mineral commodities

| State             | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   | Mineral Commodity (in million tonne)   |
|-------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|                   | REE-RM                                 | Niobium                                | PGE                                    | Graphite                               | Glauconite/ Potash                     | Phosphorite                            | Titanium                               | Gallium                                | Vanadium                               | Molybdenu m                            | Tungsten                               | Lithium                                | Nickel                                 | Cobalt (in tonne)                      | Tin                                    |                                        |
| Assam             | 30.51                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Andhra Pradesh    |                                        |                                        |                                        | 0.43                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Arunachal Pradesh |                                        |                                        |                                        | 13.6                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 0.38                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Bihar             | 5.84                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        | 300                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Chhattisgarh      |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 4.14                                   | 20                                     |                                        | 30.5                                   | 11.6                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Gujarat           | 192.67                                 | 282                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Haryana           |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 1.35                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        | 3                                      |                                        |
| Jharkhand         | 0.009                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        | 138.2 7                                |                                        | 28.7                                   | 12.9                                   | 17.73                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Jammu & Kashmir   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 5.9                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Karnataka         | 0.75                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 2.4                                    | 275                                    |                                        |                                        |
| Kerala            |                                        |                                        | 0.3                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 0.2                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Maharashtra       | 0.046                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Madhya Pradesh    |                                        |                                        |                                        | 15                                     | 23.91                                  |                                        |                                        | 28.7                                   | 38.67                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Odisha            |                                        |                                        |                                        | 0.99                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 2.1                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Rajasthan         |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 354.0 2                                |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 20.12                                  | 6.4                                    |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Uttar Pradesh     | 0.342                                  |                                        |                                        |                                        | 9.66                                   |                                        | 12.6                                   | 2.5                                    | 2.72                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Tamil Nadu        |                                        |                                        | 0.7                                    | 2.02                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        | 1.7                                    | 0.07                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| West Bengal       | 0.67                                   |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |                                        |
| Total             | 230                                    | 282                                    | 1                                      | 32                                     | 830                                    | 20                                     | 41                                     | 74                                     | 71                                     | 1.7                                    | 21.5                                   | 12.3                                   | 4.7                                    | 275                                    | 3                                      |                                        |

## Annexure III referred to in reply to parts (b) & (c) of LS USQ No. 2552 answered on 11.12.2024 regarding CRITICAL MINERAL RESERVES

## Details  of  resource  bearing  critical  minerals  Geological  Reports  of  GSI handed over since amendment of MMDR Act, 2015

|   Sl No . | District      | Title of the Geological Report                                                                                                                                      | Commodity         | UNFC Stage   | FSP Year   |
|-----------|---------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|--------------|------------|
|         1 | East Godavari | Preliminary exploration for tungsten and graphite mineralization at Chinnagalikonda-Potavaram in Rampachodavaramtaluk, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh.      | Graphite          | G3           | 2016-17    |
|         2 | Vizianagaram  | General Exploration for Manganese And Cobalt in Gumpamkonda Block, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh                                                            | Manganese, Cobalt | G2           | 2022-23    |
|         3 | East Godavari | General Exploration for Graphite And Associated elements In Burugubanda Block, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh                                               | Graphite          | G2           | 2021-22    |
|         4 | Anantapur     | Preliminary Exploration for Tungsten and associated Mineralization Near Balepalyam Area in Ramagiri- Penakacherla Schist Belt in Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh | Tungsten          | G3           | 2022-23    |

## Details of Geological Memorandums of GSI handed over

|   Sl. No. | District     | Title of the Geological Memorandum                                                                                                                  | FS year   |   No of Blocks | Commodity   |
|-----------|--------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------|----------------|-------------|
|         1 | Kadapa       | Lithium mineralization in Tatireddipalle block, Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh                                                                     | 2021- 22  |              1 | Lithium     |
|         2 | Vizianagaram | Reconnaissance survey for graphite, manganese and associated mineralization in Parasam-Garudabilli area, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh (G4) | 2022- 23  |              1 | Graphite    |