The government of Rajasthan has announced it will commence 37 new mineral-exploration projects in the fiscal year 2026-27, covering minerals such as limestone, decorative stone, ferrous metals and industrial-minerals. 

The move is part of a broader strategy to position the state as a strategic-minerals hub amid rising global attention on supply-chain security and value-added mineral processing.

Rajasthan already holds substantial reserves of decorative stone, limestone and other industrial raw materials. 

Enhancing exploration capacity signals the state’s intent to attract downstream mineral processing, value-addition industries and investment in mining-ecosystem infrastructure such as beneficiation, rail/logistics and industrial parks.

By pursuing exploration now, the state is laying groundwork for mid-term advantages as global grade minerals become more contested, and investment flows target countries with secure supply-chains. It also taps into India’s push for self-reliance in key raw materials for infrastructure, defence and manufacturing.Nevertheless, translating exploration into production involves dealing with regulatory clearances, environmental/social safeguards, land & forest-rights issues, and logistics constraints. The success of these 37 projects will depend on how swiftly these hurdles are addressed.