*Chhattisgarh’s mineral diversity is the basis of the country’s economic prosperity – Mineral Secretary Shri P. Dayanand*
*Detailed discussion on various aspects including technical aspects on the exploitation of strategic and strategic minerals in Chhattisgarh*
*Possibility of getting momentum in investment and industrial development*
Raipur, June 25, 2025 / Under the guidance of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai, a one-day state level workshop was organized in the Convention Hall of New Circuit House, Raipur, the capital, in relation to the systematic exploration and exploitation of strategic and strategically important minerals available in Chhattisgarh.
Addressing the inaugural session of the workshop, the Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary, Department of Mineral Resources, Shri P. Dayanand said that Chhattisgarh is a rich state full of mineral wealth, where 28 types of major minerals like coal, limestone, dolomite, iron ore, bauxite, tin ore along with lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements like strategic and nuclear importance minerals are available in abundance. He said that this workshop has been organized with the aim of further accelerating the efforts being undertaken under the National Program on Exploration Strategy and National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET). Its aim is to ensure active participation of national exploration agencies and to take concrete steps towards quick implementation of strategic mineral projects in the state.
This workshop was jointly organized by the Department of Mineral Resources and the Directorate of Geology and Mining, Chhattisgarh. Its objective was to promote scientific exploration techniques for proper exploitation of India’s critical minerals capacity, technically empower the proposal presentation system and ensure effective participation of the state in national level strategic exploration policies.
In the technical sessions of the workshop, Shri Ravikant Gupta of the Geological Survey of India highlighted the geological features of Chhattisgarh and the possibilities of OGP areas.
Shri Bhuvaneshwar Kumar of Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited gave a presentation based on modern geo-physical and geo-chemical techniques for the exploration of minerals like lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, tungsten, phosphate, which provided the officers with information on the latest methods. Shri Akshay Verma from NMET, while sharing information on the process of preparing proposals, financial assistance and grant policies, highlighted the opportunities available under NMET and emphasized the need for more active participation of the state.
*Emphasis on Chhattisgarh’s role in the global mineral supply chain*
Experts in the workshop said that Chhattisgarh’s mineral diversity and quality can make it an important link in the global mineral supply chain. They suggested that by establishing a balance between mineral production, market demand and future possibilities, the state can lead mineral-based industrial development.
In the closing session, a review of the mineral surveys conducted so far in the state, their findings and proposed projects was done. The officials emphasized the need to further strengthen technical efficiency and inter-departmental coordination. Senior officials of the Directorate of Geology and Mining said that mineral resources are the basic foundation of economic progress of any state. The workshop made it clear that by adopting transparent, technically capable and time-bound processes, Chhattisgarh can not only attract private and public investment, but also play a leading role in the national strategic mineral policy. All the participants emphasized the need for joint efforts and a long-term strategic approach for mineral-based sustainable industrial development.
On this occasion, Prof. Sahendra Singh of IIT Dhanbad, Shri Prem Prakash of IBM, Director Shri Rajat Bansal, Joint Director Shri Anurag Diwan and Shri Sanjay Kankane along with various central and state level agencies, research institutions, policy advisors and technical experts participated in the workshop.
