Hyderabad: Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said that for the first time, India has paved the way for ‘Potash Mining’, taking taking a bold leap towards self-reliance in fertiliser minerals under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that by unlocking the potential of potash mining, “we are set to reduce import dependence and strengthen the backbone of our agriculture and our farmers.”

Kishan Reddy’s comments on Tuesday come in the context of the recent Tranche V auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks, launched on January 28, concluding with the successful auction of 10 out of the 15 blocks offered.

These 10 blocks include critical and strategic minerals such as graphite, phosphorite, phosphate, rare earth elements (REE), vanadium, and, for the first time, potash and halite. The blocks are located across Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. With this auction, the total number of blocks auctioned by the Central Government has reached 34.

The Union Minister said that a key milestone in Tranche V is the successful auction of a potash block, marking the first time the Government of India has auctioned a potash block.

This development is expected to stimulate potash mining in the country reduce reliance on imports, and provide stronger support to the agriculture sector. Additionally, this auction marks the first successful auction of a critical and strategic mineral block in the state of Rajasthan.

To date, a total of 34 blocks have been successfully auctioned in five tranches out of a total of 55 critical mineral blocks that were made available for auction.

The regular auctioning of critical mineral blocks is a vital part of the strategy adopted by the Ministry of Mines to promote self-sufficiency in critical minerals within the country.

The Ministry of Mines is also focused on exploring critical minerals. It has launched the National Critical Mineral Mission to develop a sustainable critical mineral ecosystem in India. The Ministry recognises the valuable participation of industry stakeholders in both the auctions and other initiatives aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in critical minerals.