Ministry of Mines releases State Mining Readiness Index and State Rankings

Ministry of Mines releases State Mining Readiness Index and State Rankings

Ministry of Mines has released the State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI) and State rankings, which is a significant step to encourage mining sector reforms in States. This also fulfills the announcement made under the Union Budget 2025-26.

The structure of the index comprises indicators like auction performance, early mine operationalization, thrust on exploration and sustainable mining pertaining to non-coal minerals, which are relevant to underlining State performance in the mining sector.

Under the SMRI, States were grouped into three categories on the basis of their mineral endowment. The top three ranked States in Category A are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, while States Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Assam have been ranked in top three in Category B. In Category C, the top three ranks have been obtained by Punjab, Uttarakhand and Tripura.