Ministry of Mines to launch 2nd tranche of Exploration Licence auctions; GSI to unveil next-gen digital portal.

February 11, 2026February 11, 2026 thesuncitynews.com

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New Delhi, February 11, 2026: The Ministry of Mines will launch the second tranche of Exploration Licence (EL) auctions in the presence of representatives from State Governments, industry stakeholders, and other key participants from the mineral exploration ecosystem.

The Ministry of Mines launched a digital portal for GSI:

On the occasion, the Ministry of Mines will also unveil the next-generation Digital Portal of the Geological Survey of India (GSI).

The advanced portal integrates data acquisition, analysis, visualization, and dissemination into a single cloud-enabled platform.

Equipped with AI and Machine Learning-based tools and seamless interoperability with the National Geosciences Data Repository (NGDR), the portal is expected to significantly enhance transparency, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making in mineral exploration.

As part of the launch, a comprehensive roadshow program has been planned to familiarize stakeholders with the Exploration Licence framework, auction methodology, and incentives available to explorers.

The program will include detailed presentations on the e-auction process through the MSTC portal, auction rules, and the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) scheme, which offers partial reimbursement of eligible exploration expenditure.

An open house session will also be organized to address queries and gather feedback from stakeholders.

The second tranche of Exploration Licence auctions builds on the successful rollout of the first tranche:

The second tranche of Exploration Licence auctions builds upon the successful rollout of the first tranche. The first tranche, consisting of 13 Exploration Licence blocks, covered critical minerals such as rare Earth Elements (REE), Zinc, Diamond, Copper, and Platinum Group Elements (PGE).