Madhya Pradesh: ‘GSI Has Pivotal Role In Finding Critical Minerals’, Says GSI Director

Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): Geological Survey of India (GSI) director general Asit Saha said GSI’s 175-year journey from its early focus on coal exploration has emerged as a globally recognised institution in diverse geoscientific domains.

He emphasised the pivotal role of National Critical Mineral Mission and stressed the pressing need to secure critical mineral resources vital for technological growth and energy independence.

Highlighting intense global competition in this domain, Saha called for collaborative efforts among GSI, stakeholders, and academia.

He was addressing the two-day national conference on Critical Minerals: Exploration and Exploitation of Geological Survey of India (GSI), as part of its 175th Foundation year celebrations that concluded here.

Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya vice-chancellor Professor Rajesh Kumar Verma inaugurated the conference on August 7 amid presence of GSI DG Asit Saha.

The event was graced by ID Narayan, CMD, Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL) and Dheeraj Pande, Director, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) and saw participation of stakeholders, policy makers, IITs/Universities, research institutions and academia.

Prof Verma stressed the urgent need to accelerate exploration efforts and reduce import dependency, underscoring the strategic role of critical minerals in achieving India’s clean energy transition and technological self-reliance.

MECL CMD ID Narayan applauded GSI’s pioneering contributions to critical mineral exploration and mineral block auctioning.

He highlighted the collaborative efforts between MECL and GSI in the field of critical mineral exploration, including their joint initiatives in base metal and critical mineral exploration in Zambia and underscored the need for such collaborative efforts to transform geological potential into strategic resources.

AMD director Dheeraj Pande addressed the conference by highlighting the critical role atomic and rare earth minerals in ensuring India’s energy security and digital growth.