Vedanta Limited, a diversified Indian natural resources company, has commissioned the country’s first high-speed hydrostatic portable drilling rig as it expands its exploration programme for critical minerals.

The rig has been deployed at two exploration projects in Chhattisgarh, where the company is targeting gold as well as nickel, chromium and platinum-group elements (PGEs).

According to the company, the rig is designed to operate in difficult and inaccessible terrain. It can drill to depths of up to 1,000 metres against the 300–400-metre depth of the conventional exploration range. Its portable design also allows the rig to be moved between exploration sites more efficiently, reducing the time and footprint associated with drilling operations.

“Built for inaccessible and tough terrains, it is the first high-speed hydrostatic portable rig in India that can carry out high-speed drilling up to 1,000 metres,” Vedanta said in its press release.

The deployment comes as Vedanta expands its portfolio of critical-mineral assets in India. Vedanta’s FY2025-26 annual report confirmed that the group had secured 10 critical-mineral blocks covering gold, manganese, copper, nickel-chromium-PGE, tungsten, graphite, vanadium, rare earth elements and potash.

Exploration is currently underway at five blocks, while Vedanta has also been declared the successful bidder for the Punnam manganese block in Andhra Pradesh.

The company said the new drilling capability could help accelerate domestic mineral exploration and support India's efforts to reduce its reliance on imported critical minerals.

Citing government estimates, Vedanta said that around 80% of India's mineral resources remain unexplored, underscoring the scope for deeper exploration to identify new domestic deposits.

The company is using the technology as part of its broader push into critical minerals, which are increasingly important for sectors including renewable energy, electric mobility, defence and advanced manufacturing.