Rajasthan has become the first Indian state to execute an exploration licence for Rare Earth Elements (REEs) under the country’s updated critical minerals regulatory framework, marking a significant step towards strengthening India’s mineral security and strategic resource development.

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• Rajasthan became the first state in India to issue an exploration licence for Rare Earth Elements (REEs) on 29 July 2026, marking a milestone in the country’s critical minerals exploration programme.
• The exploration licence covers an area of 207.63 square kilometres in the Navatala–Devigarh (Pachpadra) region of Balotra district and Shergarh tehsil of Jodhpur district in western Rajasthan.
• The licence has been granted to the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDI), while the agreement was executed by the Department of Mines and Geology, Rajasthan.
• Rare Earth Elements (REEs) comprise 17 metallic elements, including the 15 lanthanides, along with scandium and yttrium. Minerals identified in the exploration block include lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium.
• Rare Earth Elements are critical for manufacturing high-performance magnets, electric vehicles, batteries, wind turbines, consumer electronics, semiconductors, defence systems, and advanced communication technologies.
• The licence has been issued under India’s revised critical minerals regulatory regime, introduced to accelerate exploration and secure domestic supplies of strategically important minerals essential for economic growth and national security.
• The Central Government began auctioning critical and strategic mineral blocks in 2024, followed by the first phase of exploration licence auctions in 2025, aimed at boosting private and public sector participation in mineral exploration.
• The initiative supports India’s critical minerals strategy, reducing import dependence, strengthening supply chain resilience, promoting clean energy technologies, and advancing the vision of self-reliance in strategic mineral resources.