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The Geological Survey of India (GSI) undertook 458 mineral exploration projects in the field season 2025-26, of which 230 projects were focussed on critical minerals, the ministry of mines informed Thursday (April 2, 2026).
Additionally, of the 230 projects, 92 were targeted to acquire rare earth elements essential for advanced technologies.
Underlining their outlook, the surveyor informed that it plans to undertake approximately 500 mineral exploration projects, including around 300 focussed on critical and strategic minerals. The ministry underlined that it reflected a “substantial increase of about 30% in critical mineral projects over the previous field season”.
In an interview to The Hindu previously, GSI’s Director General Asit Saha, mentioning about undertaking the same number of projects for critical minerals in the next field season, had also stated that 125 to 150 of these projects would be for exploration of rare earths.
Reflecting on the outlook, Mr. Saha had held the outlook reinforced GSI’s momentum to outdo the stipulated target of pursuing 1,200 exploration projects for critical minerals before FY 2030-31 deadline under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM).
Published – April 02, 2026 08:37 pm IST
