Kolkata: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has drawn up its exploration action plan for the 2026–27 field season, with a sharp focus on critical minerals, at the 65th meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) held recently in New Delhi.
The meeting was inaugurated by Piyush Goyal, Secretary, Ministry of Mines.
During the CGPB meeting, GSI proposed the execution of 1,068 scientific projects, which were placed before the Board for discussion. Of these, exploration-related projects account for around 55 per cent. The organisation has also formulated 37 projects in international border regions, including 16 mineral exploration projects spread across the Western, Eastern, Northern and North-Eastern regions.
For the upcoming 2026–27 field season, a nearly 46 per cent increase in G3-stage exploration projects reflects GSI’s strategic shift towards outcome-oriented and resource-bearing exploration. A major thrust has been given to critical mineral exploration, with 236 projects formulated in this domain, underlining GSI’s focused approach to strengthening India’s critical mineral security.
In addition, GSI has outlined 144 projects under Natural Hazard Studies, Public Good Geoscience and Fundamental Geoscience for the 2026–27 field season. These cover landslide and geotechnical investigations, polar and glaciological research, climate change and environmental studies, along with core geoscientific research. The organisation has also formulated 58 Geoinformatics and Data Analysis projects aimed at geospatial data generation, integration, analysis, dissemination and management.
In his keynote address, Goyal emphasised the need for a coordinated approach among all agencies to fast-track India’s exploration ecosystem. He said GSI would now primarily focus on critical and strategic minerals by undertaking about 300 projects in 2026–27.
Director General of GSI Asit Saha reiterated the organisation’s commitment to aligning its geoscientific programmes with national priorities and the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He said the upcoming annual programme places strong emphasis on leveraging advanced geoscientific technologies, digital platforms and AI-enabled tools to accelerate mineral discovery, particularly of concealed and deep-seated deposits.