The Ministry of Mines is responsible for the survey, exploration, and mining of all minerals in India, except natural gas, petroleum, atomic minerals, and coal. Under the Ministry of Mines, there are several important institutions and organisations:
Attached Office: Geological Survey of India (GSI): Responsible for creating and updating national geoscientific information and carrying out resource assessment.
Subordinate Office: Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM): Promotes the conservation of mineral resources, both onshore and offshore.
Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs):
NALCO (National Aluminium Company): Produces aluminium-related products and is also involved in power generation.
HCL (Hindustan Copper Limited): Deals with copper production.
MECL (Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited): Focuses on mineral exploration and helps bridge the gap between initial mineral findings and the start of mining.
BGML (Bharat Gold Mines Limited): Engaged in gold mining.
Autonomous Research & Development Bodies
NIRM (National Institute of Rock Mechanics)
JNARDDC (Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research, Development and Design Centre): Recently, a recycling division has also been opened here, particularly for non-ferrous minerals.
Digital Platforms / Portals:
SATYABHAMA Portal: Supports R&D activities, information, education, communication, and promotion of research in startups and MSMEs.
MPAS (Mining Plan Approval System): Developed by IBM for electronic submission, scrutiny, and approval of mining plans and mine closure plans in India.
Bhukosh Portal (by GSI): Provides access to a wide range of geoscientific data and thematic GIS maps.
NGDR (National Geoscience Data Repository): A national-level database for storing and managing various geophysical, geochemical, and geological data.
Trust: NMET (National Mineral Exploration Trust): Uses funds collected from mining companies to carry out mineral exploration surveys across the country.
Special Initiative: KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Limited): Formed to identify, explore, acquire, and develop strategic and critical mineral assets abroad to meet India’s domestic requirements.
Other Important PSUs:
NMDC Limited (National Mineral Development Corporation): India’s largest iron ore producer.
Coal India Limited (CIL): The world’s largest coal producer. Recently expanded its charter to include critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel abroad.
MOIL Limited (Manganese Ore India Ltd.): Specialises in manganese ore mining.
Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) (Joint venture of Telangana Govt. & Central Govt.): Major coal mining company in southern India.
Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. (UCIL): Mines and processes uranium ore for India’s nuclear programme.
IREL (India) Limited (formerly Indian Rare Earths Ltd.): Engaged in mining and processing of beach sand minerals like ilmenite, rutile, zircon, and monazite.
Hindustan Zinc Ltd. (HZL) – technically a private company now (controlled by Vedanta), but originally a PSU and still one of India’s largest zinc, lead, and silver producers.
SAIL (Steel Authority of India Ltd.) – while primarily a steelmaker, it also runs captive iron ore and coal mines to supply its plants.
ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) – not a mining company in the traditional sense, but involved in overseas exploration for oil, gas, and increasingly critical minerals.