About NMEDT

In exercise of powers conferred by Section 9C of the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957, the Central Government established the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) by Gazette notification dated 14th August, 2015. The Central Government framed the National Mineral Exploration Trust Rules, 2015, to boost regional and detailed exploration of minerals and related activities.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2025, has introduced significant reforms in NMET. The Trust has now been renamed as the “National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust (NMEDT)” to reflect its expanded mandate beyond exploration to include mine and mineral development both within India & overseas.

Under the amended provisions of Section 9C of MMDR Act, the scope of the Trust has been widened to include funding exploration in offshore areas within India and for regional and detailed exploration and development of mines and minerals within India and overseas in the prescribed manner.

The amendment has also increased the lessee contribution from 2% to 3% of royalty, enhancing the financial capacity of the Trust to support larger and more advanced exploration initiatives. (Remove this line) and add this

The Trust receives contributions from Mining Lease and Composite Licence holders through State Government an amount equivalent to 3 % of the royalty paid on minerals under the Second Schedule to the MMDR, Act 1957.

These changes align with the objectives of the National Critical Mineral Mission, to strengthen India’s resource security and reduce import dependence.

To use the funds accrued to the Trust for carrying out regional and detailed exploration for augmentation of mineral resource of the country.

To promote and fund systematic, scientific and technology-driven mineral exploration in India and overseas, with a special focus on critical, strategic, deep-seated and concealed mineral resources, through advanced geoscientific techniques, thereby strengthening India’s mineral resource security.

The object of the Trust shall be to use the funds accrued to the Trust within India, including the offshore areas and outside India for the purposes of regional and detailed exploration and development of mines and minerals and it shall undertake such activities as may be deemed necessary by the Governing Body to achieve its objects, including:

1. Funding special studies and projects designed to identify, explore, extract, beneficiate and refine critical and strategic minerals or deep-seated or concealed mineral deposits;
2. Undertaking studies for mineral development, sustainable mining, adoption of advanced scientific and technological practices and mineral extraction metallurgy;
3. Taking up exploration of areas for regional and detailed exploration, giving priority particularly to strategic and critical minerals;
4. Consulting Central Geological Programming Board to decide the priorities for exploration of the Trust;
5. Facilitating exploration activities in such a manner that areas explored can be taken up for grant of mineral concessions in accordance with the provisions of the Act and rules made thereunder;
6. Facilitating completion of brown-field regional exploration projects in obvious geological potential areas (G3) including conducting high-risk exploration for deep-seated mineral deposits through modern technologies;
7. Promoting completion of detailed exploration (G2 or G1) in the areas where G3 stage exploration has been completed;
8. Facilitating geophysical, ground and aerial, survey and geochemical survey of obvious geological potential areas;
9. Facilitating a national core repository for encouraging research in earth sciences and for evaluation of the mineral prospects;
10. Organizing capacity building programmes to raise technical capability of personnel engaged in or to be engaged in exploration;
11. Supporting and funding the objectives and schemes of the National Critical Mineral Mission, including domestic critical mineral exploration, support of exploration activities outside India, risk coverage of foreign sourcing and mineral recovery;
12. Supporting and funding of mining, processing, beneficiation, evacuation infrastructure, technology upgradation, and other activities related to mine development; and
13. Using the Trust Fund for such other purposes that the Governing Body may decide, or authorize the Executive Committee, to be necessary or expedient in the interest of conservation, development and exploitation of mineral resources, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Act.