India is planning a Rs 100-crore AI centre aimed at accelerating the discovery of critical and strategic minerals. The initiative could improve geological analysis, support resource security and reduce dependence on imports by leveraging advanced artificial intelligence technologies. The centre is expected to analyze mineral-potential regions spanning nearly 8.5 lakh square kilometres over the next five years.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) will set up a Rs 100-crore Data Processing, Interpretation and Integration Centre (DPIIC) in Bengaluru to improve country’s mineral security. The facility is expected to become the key centre of India’s search for critical and strategic minerals. This comes at a time when nations across the world are securing resources needed for clean energy, electronics and defence production.
As India pushes ahead with electric vehicles, renewable energy projects, semiconductor manufacturing and defence indigenisation, access to critical minerals has become a strategic priority.
For decades, India’s exploration efforts have relied on conventional geological surveys, field studies, and drilling. While these methods helped discover many of the country’s major mineral belts, officials acknowledge that the next generation of discoveries is likely to be harder to find. The focus is increasingly shifting towards concealed and deep-seated deposits.
The DPIIC will bring together vast volumes of geological, geophysical, geochemical and satellite data collected over decades and use advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to identify areas with a high probability of mineralisation.
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Government officials believe the new facility can help bridge a major gap in India’s mineral exploration capabilities by combining geoscience expertise with modern data analytics. The centre will also feature high-performance computing infrastructure, cloud-based data management systems and advanced 3D visualisation tools capable of generating detailed subsurface models.
The proposed AI centre could mark a major step in India's effort to secure critical mineral resources. By combining advanced data analysis with geological expertise, the initiative may improve exploration success rates, strengthen domestic supply chains and support long-term economic and technological growth.