Newz Desk, Durgapur: The Central Government has cancelled the auction of nine critical and strategic mineral blocks after receiving an inadequate response from investors, highlighting the challenges in attracting bidders for the country’s key mineral assets.
According to reports, the blocks were offered under the seventh round of auctions for critical and strategic mineral resources. However, the auction process was scrapped as the number of eligible bidders fell short of the required threshold.
In a recent statement, the Ministry of Mines said that the auction of the Majhauli Titanium, Vanadium and Aluminium Laterite Block in Madhya Pradesh and the Rambha Degana Tungsten, Lithium and Associated Critical Mineral Block in Rajasthan was cancelled as no bids were received for either project.
The Ministry also cancelled the auction of seven other mineral blocks located in Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha after fewer than three technically qualified bidders participated, making the auction process invalid under the prescribed norms.
The affected blocks include the Nawara-Nawadih Block, Tipa Glauconite Block, Sapneri Vanadium-Bearing Magnetite-Ilmenite Block, Gurur Glauconite Block, Karahibhadar Glauconite Block, and Naringpanga Graphite Block, among others.
This is not the first time the government has been forced to cancel auctions of critical mineral blocks. Several such auctions were withdrawn in earlier rounds as well due to poor investor participation.
Critical minerals such as lithium, tungsten, vanadium, titanium and graphite are considered essential for clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, electronics, defence manufacturing and other strategic sectors. The repeated cancellation of auctions underscores the need for greater investor confidence and policy support to accelerate the development of India’s critical mineral sector.
