The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has intensified its efforts to explore critical and strategic minerals, with 230 projects planned for financial year 2025-26, up from 195 in the previous year.

The National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust (NMEDT) is also supporting this drive, approving 62 new exploration initiatives in the last financial year and 36 for 2025-26, Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said in a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha. The government is further strengthening the sector through amendments to the Mining Act, which expand NMEDT's scope to support both domestic and international mineral exploration.

Additionally, the government has auctioned 34 critical mineral blocks, with three auctions involving exploration licenses for critical minerals. To facilitate deeper exploration, the exploration licenses (EL) regime has been introduced, where a share of the auction premium will be paid to the EL holders responsible for the exploration.