India Mines for Self-Reliance: Potash Auction in Rajasthan

The Union government will auction India’s first potash mining blocks in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district on May 1, 2025. This initiative aims to reduce import dependence and boost domestic fertiliser production.

Initially, mining will cover 32.47 sq. km—18.30 sq. km in Lakhasar (Bikaner’s Sridungargarh tehsil) and 14.17 sq. km in Bharusari (Hanumangarh’s Rawatsar tehsil). The state offers significant potential for fertiliser industries, creating employment opportunities, according to a senior mining official.

Rajasthan holds over 95% of India’s estimated potash reserves, with halite-bearing evaporites spanning 30,000 sq. km across Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Bikaner, Churu, and Nagaur. Eight sub-basins with potash mineralisation (containing 2% potassium) have been identified in Bikaner, Hansera, Arjunsar, Gharsisar, Jaitpur, Satipura, Bharusari, and Lakhasar. Among them, the Satipura, Bharusari, and Lakhasar sub-basins are the most promising, with an estimated 2,476.58 million tonnes of potash at a 3% potassium cut-off grade.

The auction marks a major step in utilising domestic resources, reducing fertiliser imports, and driving industrial growth in Rajasthan.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.