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Jaipur, Nov 21 (IANS) A team from the British Deputy High Commission on Friday held discussions with Principal Secretary, Mines, T. Ravikant to explore possibilities of participating in mineral exploration activities in Rajasthan.
The delegation included Deputy High Commissioner of Gujarat-Rajasthan Stephen Hickling, Senior Advisor (Ahmedabad) Momita Bhattacharya, Senior Trade Advisor Anoop Narayan and Brahmadutt Maya.
During the meeting, the team expressed keen interest in collaborating on exploration and mining projects, especially in the area of critical and strategic minerals.
He informed that the Deputy High Commission is already working with enterprises in Gujarat and Odisha and is now assessing similar opportunities in Rajasthan given the immense potential of the state in the mining sector.
Principal Secretary of Mines Department, Ravikant said that Rajasthan has abundant reserves of various minerals. Rare earth element (REE) reserves have been discovered in the Sivana Ring region, while important minerals such as graphite, uranium and potash are also available.
He said that under the National Critical Mineral Mission, the Government of India is laying special emphasis on REE exploration and mining. Agencies such as Indian Rare Earths Limited, Oil India and AI/ML-based startups are being encouraged to participate in these efforts.
He said collaboration is possible with Rajasthan State of Mines and Minerals, Rajasthan State Mineral Exploration Trust, or organizations empaneled by the Government of India, subject to completion of necessary formalities at the departmental level, including clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs.
He stressed that the state government is committed to promoting innovation and adopting sustainable mining practices.
During the discussion, Additional Director Geology Alok Prakash Jain and Superintending Geologist Sanjay Saxena were also present.
–IANS
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