India is planning to operationalise up to 60 new mines during FY27 as part of its broader strategy to strengthen domestic mineral production, improve resource security and support the country's rapidly growing industrial and infrastructure sectors. The move comes amid increasing demand for minerals driven by manufacturing expansion, energy transition initiatives and large-scale infrastructure development across the country.

Speaking at a conference organised by the Materials Recycling Association of India (MRAI), Mines Secretary Piyush Goyal said the government expects up to 60 new mines to become operational during the current financial year. He noted that 36 mines, including 28 greenfield projects, were operationalised during FY26, reflecting the accelerated pace of mining sector development in recent years.

The proposed expansion is supposed to improve the availability of important raw materials required by industries such as steel, cement, power generation, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and manufacturing industry. According to industry experts, an increase in mineral production within the country would be a step towards reducing dependence on imports and achieving economic growth goals.

This strategy employed by the government in terms of mine operationalisation has been made possible through a number of reforms that have been carried out by the authorities in order to make the process more effective. This has been done through introduction of electronic auctions, among other measures.

The emphasis on the government’s efforts to improve the sector can be understood from the statement made by Piyush Goyal, "We expect to operationalise up to 60 new mines in the current fiscal year." In addition, it has been pointed out that a total of 36 mines, including 28 greenfield mines, have become operational in FY26.

Besides increasing mining activities, there is a focus on critical minerals needed for the development of clean energy technology and electric mobility as well. There have been indications from the authorities that there would be a request for bids in order to set up plants to process minerals like lithium and nickel, among others, in the coming months.

Industry experts noted that the implementation of the new mining projects would be extremely essential for helping India realize its manufacturing plans, secure its energy supply and provide adequate raw material availability for the emerging industries. As India works towards developing its infrastructure and clean energy systems, it can be assumed that mining development would form one of the core components of its development policies.