In response to the Centers' expectations to ensure a more uninterrupted and predictable supply of minerals for rapid industrial growth, Odisha, India's most mineral-rich state, is ready with a tentative list of 35 mineral blocks to be auctioned next year.
The state Department of Steel and Mining will hold a meeting on January 3, 2026 to examine the suitability, exploration status, readiness of the proposed blocks for auction and the completion of the annual auction calendar.
In an official letter addressed to the concerned departments, the Department shared this list proposed by the Department of Mines and Geology, Odisha.
The list includes iron ore, bauxite, limestone, manganese, dolomite, and even a copper-gold block.
The iron ore blocks include the Tehrai iron ore and manganese block (previously mined by Bonai Industrial Company), Kasia West, Gadadharpur, Balisahi, Murgabeda (overdue block) in Kendujhar and Mankara lying in Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts. Barha Indipur West and JaldihiTantigram in Sundargarh and Suleypat block in Mayurbhanj, a non-operational block formerly owned by B C Dagra, are also on the list.
Ten blocks of iron and manganese are on the list of blocks that can be auctioned in 2026, including manganese and manganese with blocks of dolomite or laterite. The list also includes two iron and bauxite blocks in Sundargarh, Anandapur and Khandadhar-D. Odisha will also put up for auction
