Patna, August 17: The Ministry of Mines, Government of India, will organise a roadshow on the 8th tranche of auctions for critical and strategic mineral blocks along with a workshop on the National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust (NMEDT) in Patna on August 17, 2026.

The programme will be chaired by Shri Satish Chandra Dubey, Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines, in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Shri Samrat Choudhary and Dr Pramod Kumar, Mines Minister, Bihar.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Mines, Government of Bihar, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL), along with industry representatives and prospective investors, are expected to attend the event.

The 8th tranche comprises 20 mineral blocks, including three Mining Lease blocks and 17 Composite Licence blocks. The blocks contain a wide range of critical and strategic minerals, including graphite, rare earth elements, rare metals, vanadium, gallium, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, potash, phosphorite and glauconite.

The roadshow will provide investors and industry stakeholders with detailed information on the mineral potential of the blocks, the auction framework, bidding procedures and investment opportunities in the critical minerals sector.

Technical presentations will be delivered by MECL on the mineral blocks, SBICAPS on the auction process and tender documents, and MSTC on the e-auction mechanism.

The programme will also feature a presentation on the NMEDT scheme, which provides for partial reimbursement of exploration expenses incurred by Composite Licence holders. An open-house session will give participants an opportunity to raise questions and seek clarification on the auction process.

The second half of the programme will focus on a workshop titled “Mineral Exploration: Planning, Execution and Reporting.” Sessions will cover India's mineral exploration potential, the National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR), identification and preparation of exploration blocks using NGDR, and preparation of mineral exploration reports. Senior officials from the Geological Survey of India will lead the technical sessions.

The initiative is part of the government's broader strategy to accelerate mineral exploration, attract greater private-sector participation and strengthen India's supply security for critical and strategic minerals.

Critical minerals are increasingly important for sectors such as clean energy, advanced manufacturing, electronics, defence and emerging technologies. Expanding domestic exploration and production is therefore expected to contribute to India's mineral security and the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat objective.