Critical industrial mineral blocks in the Northeast ready for mining, seven out of 38 blocks auctioned: GSI

Guwahati: The Centre is banking on its Northeastern region for critical industrial minerals that are essential to meet the ambition of swift transition to clean energy technologies, advanced electronics and defence applications.

Giving a boost to the ambition, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has stated that at least 38 blocks delineated since 2015 in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, are now ready for exploration.

These sites have critical and strategic minerals such as graphite, vanadium and Rare Earth Elements (REE). It said out of the 38, seven have already been auctioned to Vedanta, Star Cements, Oil India Limited and others.

"The Northeastern region, while historically unexplored, has revealed a vast and varied inventory of mineral resources in recent years. Each state in the region possesses a unique geological identity, translating into distinctive set of mineral occurrences--from energy minerals like coal and hydrocarbons to critical and strategic minerals such as graphite, vanadium and rare earth elements," the GSI said in a a report, Geological Potential of Northeast India.

The report was released in Guwahati on Saturday.

Critical minerals

The GSI said the critical minerals including the Rare Earth Elements, graphite, vanadium, lithium, cobalt and others are essential inputs in batteries, permanent magnets, semiconductors and advanced alloys. "India's growing demand for such resources underscores the need to identify and develop domestic sources, particularly in geologically promising regions like the Northeast," it said.

The GSI said Arunachal alone accounted for 24.81 million tonnes of graphite and 17.17 million tonnes of vanadium. Assam has confirmed over 1,490 million tonnes of limestone and 28.64 million tonnes of REE, while Meghalaya leads with 6,600+ million tonnes of cement-grade limestone.

The GSI said Arunachal Pradesh has emerged as the most significant domestic source of natural flake graphite. Major deposits have been delineated in West Siang, Papumpare and Lower Subansiri district.

"The graphite in this region is typically fine to medium flaked, with fixed carbon content ranging from 5 per cent to 25 per cent. This makes it viable feedstock for downstream beneficiation and high-value applications such as lithium-low battery anodes."

In fact, GSI has delineated the country's first major vanadium resource of 13.79 million tons in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Rare Earth Elements, identified in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, are indispensable in modern electronics, wind turbines, electric vehicles and defence systems, the GSI report said.

"As India gears up for a mineral-intensive clean energy transition and technological growth, the mineral resources of the Northeastern region are poised to play a crucial supporting role," the GSI said.

Geologically, the NER lies at the tri-junction of the Indian, Eurasian, and Burmese tectonic plates, resulting in a complex and dynamic geological framework. This includes rock formations ranging in age from the Archaean to the Quaternary and tectonic units such as the Eastern Himalayas, the Shillong Plateau and the Indo-Burma Ranges.

The interplay of these geotectonic units has given rise to a rich spectrum of mineral occurrences ranging from hydrocarbons and coal to industrial and critical minerals, the GSI said.

Strategic mineral development is being carried out under the framework of sustainability and local capacity building. The National Mineral Exploration Trust, since 2015, has funded over 35 exploration and infrastructure development projects across the eight northeastern states.

These include not only mineral surveys but also the procurement of analytical tools and lab equipment for state geology departments.

Arunachal

Graphite: 24.81 million tons

Vanadium: 17.17 million tons

Rare Earth Elements: 2.15 million tons

Meghalaya

Limestones: 6,600 million tons

Assam

Limestones: 1,400 million tons

Rare Earth Elements: 28.64 million tons.