Mineral exchange: Pathway to an efficient and transparent mineral market

India’s mining and metals sector stands at an inflection point. As the country advances towards its Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, the scale of growth envisioned across infrastructure, manufacturing, urban development, clean energy and strategic industries will require a significant expansion of mineral production, processing and supply-chain capabilities. Alongside investments in physical infrastructure, there is an increasing need to strengthen the market infrastructure that supports efficient allocation of mineral resources, transparent pricing and wider market participation.

The introduction of the Mineral Exchange Rules, 2026, presents an opportunity to evaluate how organised, exchange-based trading can contribute to the next stage of market evolution. A mineral exchange has the potential to facilitate transparent price discovery, standardised contracts, independent quality assurance, improved market access and reliable transaction settlement. It can support the creation of market intelligence and domestic benchmark prices that strengthen decision making across the mineral value chain.