India, Oct. 14 -- The Union ministry of mines on Tuesday invited prospective bidders to explore two offshore mineral blocks in the Andaman Sea, spanning a combined area of 1,632 square kilometres, as part of efforts to strengthen India's access to critical minerals used in manufacturing, clean energy and emerging technologies.

At an outreach programme in New Delhi, the ministry officials briefed stakeholders on the geological potential of the blocks, the auction procedures, the regulatory requirements, and the financial assistance available for exploration.

The ministry issued the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) on October 1 to grant operating rights for the Sewell Rise-01 and West Sewell Ridge-01 blocks under a composite licence.

Sewell ...