GSI to Host 65th CGPB Meet to Shape India’s Critical Minerals, AI-Driven Exploration and Clean Energy Strategy

The CGPB serves as GSI’s apex coordination platform where the organisation’s Annual Field Season Programme (FSP) is presented, scrutinised, and finalised.

The Geological Survey of India (GSI), under the Ministry of Mines, will host the 65th meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) on 21 January 2026 at the A. P. Shinde Symposium Hall, ICAR, Pusa, New Delhi, marking a decisive moment in India’s push towards critical mineral security, technology-driven exploration, and sustainable geoscientific development.

The high-level meeting will bring together senior representatives from Central Ministries, State Governments, industry, academia, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and private mining and exploration companies to deliberate on the future direction of India’s geoscience and mineral exploration programmes. Discussions will focus on leveraging innovation to address national priorities such as energy transition, clean energy minerals, geohazard mitigation, and sustainable resource management.

The CGPB serves as GSI’s apex coordination platform where the organisation’s Annual Field Season Programme (FSP) is presented, scrutinised, and finalised. The forum enables collaboration between GSI and its stakeholders, helps eliminate duplication of efforts, and aligns exploration activities with national policy priorities. Inputs from State governments, exploration agencies, PSUs, and private players are assessed, and based on urgency and strategic importance, GSI’s annual programme for surveys, mapping, exploration, R&D, multidisciplinary societal projects, and capacity-building initiatives is given final shape.

The 65th CGPB meeting will be chaired by Shri Piyush Goyal, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, and will be held in the presence of Shri Asit Saha, Director General, GSI, and Shri Sanjay Lohiya, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines, along with senior officials from across the mineral and geoscience ecosystem.

Key deliberations during the meeting will centre on:

• Exploration of critical and strategic minerals such as lithium, rare earth elements (REEs), graphite, platinum group elements (PGEs), vanadium, scandium, and cesium, in alignment with India’s energy transition goals and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision

• Adoption of next-generation exploration technologies, including AI and machine learning-based data integration, advanced geophysical surveys, hyperspectral remote sensing, deep drilling, and mineral system-based studies

• Pre-competitive data sharing and collaborative exploration models to accelerate discovery, reduce duplication, and fast-track the conversion of mineral prospects into auction-ready blocks

• Landslide hazard zonation and slope stability studies, with a focus on disaster risk reduction in the Himalayan and North-Eastern regions

A major highlight of the meeting will be the presentation of GSI’s Annual Programme for Field Season 2026–27, comprising 1,068 rigorously peer-reviewed projects across multiple earth-science disciplines, with a strong emphasis on mineral exploration. The programme reflects an expanded focus on critical minerals, carbon sequestration studies, offshore exploration, and public-good geosciences, reinforcing GSI’s role at the intersection of resource security and sustainability.

The event will also feature the release of key GSI publications and an exhibition showcasing GSI’s work, particularly in the domain of strategic and critical mineral exploration.

The 65th CGPB meeting is expected to act as a powerful convergence point for policy, science, and industry, aligning India’s geoscientific roadmap with global sustainability goals while strengthening the country’s long-term mineral and resource security.

Call to Action for Industry, Academia and Technology Providers

Mining companies, exploration startups, geospatial technology firms, AI and data analytics providers, and research institutions are encouraged to engage with GSI through the CGPB framework to collaborate on advanced exploration, critical mineral discovery, and sustainable geoscience solutions that will define India’s clean energy and resource future.