Vedanta Group Dominates Critical Mineral Auction

Vedanta Group secured four mineral blocks in the latest government auction, including vanadium and graphite in Arunachal Pradesh and cobalt, manganese, and iron in Karnataka. The auction featured eight critical blocks essential for high-tech applications. This round marked significant progress in India's mineral market expansion.

In a significant development, Vedanta Group has emerged as the top player in the fourth round of critical mineral blocks auction, securing four blocks. Among these, Vedanta won a vanadium and graphite mine in Arunachal Pradesh and a cobalt, manganese, and iron (poly-metal) mine in Karnataka.

Additionally, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, a subsidiary of Vedanta, successfully acquired blocks containing tungsten and associated minerals in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, Oil India Ltd managed to secure a graphite and vanadium block in Arunachal Pradesh, as confirmed by government sources.

This auction marks an important milestone, as it sees the debut of four maiden blocks in the Northeast and the first successful auction of tungsten and cobalt blocks. These minerals play a crucial role in high-tech, defense, and energy storage sectors, helping to reduce the country's reliance on imports.

(With inputs from agencies.)