Chhattisgarh Auctions Lithium Mine, Revenue Hits 10,345 Cr

Raipur| Desk: Chhattisgarh has already earned around ₹10,345 crore from minerals by December 2025 and is on track to achieve its fiscal year target of approximately ₹17,000 crore, said Dayanand P, Secretary of the Department of Minerals, Chhattisgarh. Since the state’s formation, mineral revenue has grown from ₹429 crore to an estimated ₹14,592 crore in its silver jubilee year, 2024-25.

The state contributes about 17% of India’s total mineral production and roughly 10% of its Gross Domestic Product. Chhattisgarh has now become the first state in India to auction a lithium mine, conducted in Korba district’s Katghora tehsil. The development is expected to create employment opportunities for local residents and further boost the state’s mineral revenue.

Under the amended Chhattisgarh District Mineral Foundation (DMF) rules, ₹16,742 crore has been allocated for development projects in mining-affected areas, with 1,07,689 projects approved. Of these, 75,901 projects have been completed, while the rest are ongoing. The state has launched the DMF Portal 2.0 to ensure proper monitoring, financial approvals, management, and accountability of all DMF-funded projects, modeled after the central government’s DMF portal.

Dayanand P also highlighted that the National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust (NMET), formed under amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act, 1957, has collected ₹1,159 crore from 2015-16 to December 2025. The government considers critical minerals essential for India’s “Developed India 2047” vision, and the National Critical Mission is promoting the exploration and extraction of such minerals.

In addition to lithium, exploration for other critical and strategic minerals-including niobium, tantalum, tantalum, and rare earth elements-is underway in Sukma and Bastar districts. One NMET-approved private-sector project is currently operational in the region.