India Introduces Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill 2026 to Enhance Mineral Exploration
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 aims to reform India's mining sector by allowing leaseholders to increase the variety of minerals under existing leases and remove sales caps on captive mines. These changes are significant for the exploration and development of critical minerals, impacting investment and operational flexibility in the mining industry.

The Indian government has introduced the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Lok Sabha, focusing on enhancing the mining framework. Key provisions include enabling leaseholders to add multiple minerals to existing leases, with no extra fees for critical minerals like lithium and nickel, and removing the current 50% sales cap on minerals from captive mines.
The Bill seeks to expand the National Mineral Exploration Trust's role, allowing it to finance mine development. Additionally, it proposes extending mining leases for deep-seated minerals and establishing a regulatory authority for mineral exchanges. These amendments aim to broaden the mineral resource base and encourage critical mineral exploration, potentially increasing investment and operational flexibility within the sector.




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