During an Inter-Ministerial meeting of the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET), Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized the urgency of accelerating lithium exploration in Jammu & Kashmir. The meeting, chaired by Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of Coal and Mines, saw Dr. Singh advocating for a swift exploration process in the Reasi district, highlighting its potential to significantly boost both the mining sector and the broader Indian economy. He stressed the importance of meeting deadlines and providing all necessary support to expedite the work. Dr. Singh also mentioned the delay in the Sapphire Park project in Kishtwar, urging prompt action.
Union Secretary of Mining, V. L. Kanta Rao, reassured Dr. Singh that the lithium exploration efforts would be intensified, with visible progress expected in the coming months.
Dr. Singh also praised the NMET team for their remarkable achievement of nearly ₹300 crores in expenditure on exploration activities during the last financial year. He noted that NMET is making significant strides in advancing mineral exploration through its various initiatives.
As the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and other key portfolios, Dr. Singh highlighted the launch of the “Critical Mineral Mission,” which focuses on domestic production, recycling, and overseas acquisition of critical minerals. He underscored NMET’s crucial role in this mission, particularly in promoting private sector involvement in critical mineral exploration, which he believes will energize the sector.
Addressing the issue of data sharing between the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD), Dr. Singh assured Mining Minister G. Kishan Reddy of full support from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). He urged the Director of AMD to promptly provide relevant reports on baseline surveys and non-atomic minerals to aid the Ministry of Mines in its exploration efforts under the Critical Mineral Mission.
Dr. Singh further emphasized the need for adopting a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with early industry linkages to stimulate startups in the mining sector, thus generating employment and ensuring sustainability. He supported Minister Reddy’s call for promoting startups and MSMEs in mining, advocating for the use of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in the sector.
Concluding his remarks, Dr. Singh encouraged state government ministers to take full advantage of NMET’s 100% support for infrastructure development and mineral exploration projects. He called for the submission of more exploration proposals to make a greater number of mineral blocks available for auction.
The meeting, chaired by Shri G. Kishan Reddy, was attended by Satish Chandra Dubey, Minister of State for Coal & Mines; Balvantsinh Rajput, Minister of Industries in Gujarat; Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, Minister of Public Health in Chhattisgarh; Kollu Ravindra, Minister of Mines & Geology in Andhra Pradesh; Jogen Mohan, Minister of Mines in Assam; and other senior officials from the Ministry of Coal and Petroleum.
