The Ministry of Mines on March 19, 2026, issued the Draft Mineral Exchange Rules, 2026.
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 was amended through the MMDR Amendment Act, 2025 with effect from September 1, 2025. A new Section 18B has been introduced, which mandates the Central Government to promote the development of a mineral market, including trading of minerals, their concentrates, and processed forms such as metals, through mineral exchanges in a prescribed manner.
Further, Section 18B(2) empowers the Central Government to designate an authority to register and regulate such mineral exchanges. In this regard, the Indian Bureau of Mines has been appointed as the regulatory authority for all minerals except those specified in Part A (coal and lignite) and Part B (atomic minerals) of the First Schedule to the Act.
In line with these provisions, the Ministry has prepared the Draft Mineral Exchange Rules, 2026 for minerals other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals. The draft rules have been released for public consultation, inviting comments and suggestions from stakeholders including the general public, State Governments, Union Territories, industry participants, and associations.
Stakeholders are requested to submit their comments or suggestions by April 18, 2026, via email in MS Word format to [email protected], with the subject line “Draft Mineral Exchange Rules, 2026”.
The draft is attached to the document provided below.
[Notification No. M.VI-16/35/2026-Mines VI]
