CHENNAI, October 15 — The Geological Survey of India (GSI), operating under the Ministry of Mines, on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of significant deposit blocks of strategic critical minerals—tungsten and high-purity flake graphite—across Madurai and Sivaganga districts in Tamil Nadu following multi-parameter geophysical exploration.
According to the preliminary G-3 level exploration dossier, the Melur block in Madurai demonstrated substantial wolframite and scheelite tungsten mineralization, while the adjacent Sivaganga metamorphic corridor mapped estimated resources exceeding 8 million tonnes of crystalline flake graphite, presenting immediate viability for domestic open-cast extraction auctions.
Ministry of Mines officials stressed that tungsten (essential for high-density armor-piercing kinetic penetrators and specialized micro-machining alloys) and graphite (the dominant anode active material in lithium-ion batteries) feature prominently among India's 24 designated critical minerals, significantly reducing foreign supply-chain vulnerabilities.
The regulatory provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act 2023 authorizing private critical mineral concessions, the institutional mandate of Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), geological characteristics of metamorphic pegmatite-hosted minerals, and clean tech supply resilience represent pivotal topics across UPSC Civil Services (GS-III: Economic Geography & Industrial Resources) and State Mining Service tests.