Rajasthan executes India’s first rare earth exploration licence

Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to execute an exploration licence for rare earth elements (REE), marking a step towards expanding critical mineral exploration, officials said on Wednesday.

The licence covers 207.63 square kilometres across Balotra and Jodhpur districts. It has been executed under chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma, who also holds the mines portfolio.

“This marks a historic initiative in the exploration of rare earth elements and associated minerals in the country,” an official statement said.

The block is located in Navatala-Devigarh (Pachpadra) and Shergarh, where indications of REE mineralisation have been identified. These include lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium, which are used in sectors such as electric vehicles, defence, space, renewable energy, electronics and telecommunications.

The Centre began the auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks in 2024, followed by the first phase of auctions for exploration licences in 2025. Rajasthan’s block was among those successfully auctioned in the first phase.

The exploration licence has been granted to Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited. The agreement has been executed between the company and the state’s mines and geology department.

Additional Chief Secretary (Mines) Aparna Arora said that with this development, Rajasthan has become the first state to operationalise an auctioned exploration licence block in the country.

“The move will accelerate scientific exploration of critical minerals, attract private investment and strengthen the country’s mineral security and self-reliance,” she said.

Officials said the initiative reflects the state government’s focus on developing a transparent and investment-friendly mining sector while advancing India’s goals in critical mineral security.