Lok Sabha Question No. 4489 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Minerals across the Country
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti, Shri Appalanaidu Kalisetti

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4489

ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025

## MINERALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

4489.   SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI: SHRI APPALANAIDU KALISETTI:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) the quantity and types of major minerals discovered across the country during the last ten years, mineral, State-wise particularly for Andhra Pradesh;
- (b) the details of the quantity of these major minerals mined annually during the last ten years, mineral and State and district-wise particularly for Andhra Pradesh;
- (c)  whether the Government proposes to undertake new exploration projects using drones, aerial surveys or AI tools to map untapped or deep-seated mineral reserves and if so, the details thereof especially in the State of Andhra Pradesh;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  promote  sustainable  mining practices and value addition, such as mine reclamation, environmental safeguards and community  development  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  measures implemented so far across the country especially in Andhra Pradesh; and
- (e) the initiatives being taken to support domestic value addition in mining including mineral processing units and investment incentives, especially for critical and strategic minerals?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): While the data on exploration by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), an attached office of the Ministry of Mines, for the entire country is available on National Geoscience  Data  Repository  (https://geodataindia.gov.in),  159  mineral  exploration projects  from  field  season  2015-16  to  2024-25,  targeting  minerals  such  as  gold, basemetals, diamonds, rare earth elements (REE), limestone, iron, copper etc. have been  taken  up  in  Andhra  Pradesh.  Further,  since  inception  National  Mineral Exploration  Trust  (NMET)  has  also  sanctioned  16  mineral  exploration  projects  in Andhra Pradesh and has augmented mineral resources for coal and limestone. The details of resources augmented for various mineral commodities in Andhra Pradesh during the last ten years are given in Annexure-I.

The mineral-wise details of production in Andhra Pradesh during the last ten years is given in Annexure-II.

(c):        GSI  has  adopted  advanced  technology  tools  such  as  drone-based mineral mapping, and Mineral Prospectivity Mapping (MPM) programs using geostatistical and Artificial  Intelligence/  Machine  Learning  modelling  to  efficiently  target  remote  and geologically complex regions. From field season 2024-25 to 2025-26, GSI has taken up  12  MPM  projects  across  the  country  including  two  MPM  projects  in  Andhra Pradesh.  In  collaboration  with  ISRO's  Space  Applications  Centre,  GSI  is  using satellite-based remote sensing and AI-driven analysis. GSI has launched its flagship project  'National  Aero-Geophysical  Mapping  Programme  (NAGMP)'  to  acquire uniform aero-geophysical data through outsourcing using National Mineral Exploration Trust  (NMET)  fund  across  country  including  Andhra  Pradesh.  Under  the  aegis  of Project Uncover, GSI  has  also conducted Magneto-Telluric (MT) surveys in collaboration with CSIR-NGRI in western and eastern parts of the Dharwar Craton covering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

(d):      The introduction of the Star Rating of Mines under Sustainable Development Framework (SDF) ensures environmentally and socially responsible mining practices. It  assesses environmental management, social responsibility, scientific mining, and post-closure land use. Mines  achieving higher ratings, especially 5-star, are recognized for excellence and encouraged to adopt best practices. This system fosters transparency, boosts community trust, and promotes responsible mining. Environmental and social impact assessments are mandated to identify and mitigate adverse effects on local populations. Further, the lessee is required to prepare and implement Progressive and Final Mine Closure Plans (PMCP & FMCP). The PMCP outlines ongoing reclamation and environmental management measures during the active life of a mine to ensure ecological balance and compliance. The FMCP contains the post-mining  land  restoration strategy, including afforestation, infrastructure removal, and socio-economic rehabilitation, ensuring sustainable closure aligned with regulatory norms.

The  District  Mineral  Foundations  (DMFs)  established  under  the  MMDR Amendment Act, 2015, channels a portion of mining revenues into local development projects focusing on health, education, drinking water, and livelihood generation. The Pradhan  Mantri  Khanij  Kshetra  Kalyan  Yojana  (PMKKKY)  further  guides  DMF spending to ensure welfare of mining-affected populations.

(e):      The MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 has empowered the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for 24 critical minerals listed in the new Part-D of the First Schedule to the said Act which includes the minerals of the "rare earths" group not containing Uranium and Thorium. Till date, 34 critical and strategic mineral blocks have been successfully auctioned by the Central Government.

The  Government  has  also  launched  National  Critical  Mineral  Mission  in January, 2025 with an aim to secure a long-term sustainable supply of critical minerals and strengthen country's critical mineral value chains encompassing all stages from mineral exploration and mining to beneficiation, processing and recovery from end-of- life products. The Ministry of Mines under its S&T programme also funds Research and Development projects in critical and strategic minerals processing.

In  order  to  support  the  critical  minerals  processing  in  the  country,  the Government  has  eliminated  customs  duties  for  most  of  the  critical  minerals  and reduced Basic Customs Duties (BCD) on two minerals in the Union budget 2024-25. During  2025-26  Union  Budget,  the  Government  has  exempted  cobalt  powder  and waste, the scrap of lithium-ion battery and scrap of some critical minerals.

*****

## Details of resources augmented for various minerals in Andhra Pradesh during the last ten years

|   S.No. | Commodity       |   Resource (in Million Tonne) |
|---------|-----------------|-------------------------------|
|       1 | Limestone       |                       5623.53 |
|       2 | Graphite ore    |                          0.43 |
|       3 | Iron ore        |                         15.3  |
|       4 | Manganese ore   |                          5.9  |
|       5 | Cobalt ore      |                          0.69 |
|       6 | Lead & Zinc ore |                          1.55 |
|       7 | Cadmium ore     |                          0.7  |
|       8 | Silver ore      |                          0.82 |
|       9 | Copper ore      |                          1.89 |
|      10 | Tungsten ore    |                          0.08 |
|      11 | Coal            |                       2225.56 |

## Mineral-wise details of production in Andhra Pradesh during the last ten years

| Mineral           | Unit       | 2015- 16   | 2016- 17   | 2017- 18   | 2018- 19   | 2019- 20   | 2020- 21   | 2021- 22   | 2022- 23(P)   | 2023- 24(P)   | 2024- 25(P)   |
|-------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| Apatite           | tonn e     | 110        | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          |               |               |               |
| Gold Ore          | tonn e     |            |            |            |            |            | 0          | 856        | 31028         | 33687         | 51715         |
| Gold Primary      | kg         | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0.012         | 1.637         | 1.187         |
| Iron Ore          | 000 tonn e | 493        | 485        | 674        | 654        | 825        | 349        | 319        | 185           | 125           | 41            |
| Limeston e        | 000 tonn e | 32579      | 35515      | 38889      | 48295      | 42532      | 41148      | 50278      | 53526         | 60725         | 59228         |
| Mangane se Ore    | tonn e     | 18663 2    | 23225 7    | 17217 4    | 29367 9    | 33053 0    | 25025 5    | 20400 2    | 21379 0       | 35141 2       | 42879 8       |
| Sand Others       | tonn e     | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0          |               |               |               |
| Sillimanite tonn  | e          | 42409      | 37109      | 53749      | 31243      | 0          | 0          | 0          |               |               |               |
| Vermiculit e      | tonn e     | 21890      | 7225       | 4790       | 2286       | 2190       | 750        | 2370       | 2303          | 1127          | 2736          |
| Garnet (abrasive) | tonn e     | 55583      | 51243      | 11151 3    | 72521      | 0          | 0          | 0          | 0             | 0             | 0             |

Note: (P) - Data is Provisional