Vedanta named preferred bidder for Punnam manganese block in AP

Vedanta Ltd on Thursday said it has been declared the preferred bidder for the Punnam manganese block in Andhra Pradesh. The company participated in the state government’s e-auction process after qualifying in the initial bid stage.

According to a notification issued by the Department of Mines & Geology, Andhra Pradesh, Vedanta was selected as the preferred bidder on September 18, 2025. The block, spread over 152 hectares, is currently at the G4 level of exploration.

The grant of a composite licence for the block will be subject to Vedanta fulfilling conditions laid out in the tender document. These include furnishing a performance bank guarantee, completing statutory requirements, and securing clearances from relevant government departments and agencies before executing the necessary agreements.

The Punnam manganese block was tendered through a notice inviting bids on July 10, 2025. Its allocation is expected to bolster Vedanta’s mineral resource portfolio once the composite licence process is completed.

On Thursday, shares of Vedanta Ltd closed at ₹454.60 on the NSE, down 0.34%.