What happened: MMDR Amendment Act, 2026 and uniform mining levies
FICCI Mining Committee chair and NMDC CMD Amitava Mukherjee said the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026 is expected to address operational issues in India’s mining sector by making the levy/tax regime more uniform and predictable.
Amitava Mukherjee tied the proposed change to reducing uncertainty and cost increases from differences in state taxes and unexpected cesses that mining companies face during extraction and related operations.
Background: why non-uniform state taxes and cesses matter in mining
Mining operations often span multiple states. When state-level taxes and cesses differ, mining companies face a less predictable cost structure, which can complicate planning for extraction and for mineral exploration and development investment decisions.
What changed now: amendments to the MMDR Act, 1957 and introduction of Section 9D
Related current affairs
- Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026: Uniform fiscal framework for mineral taxation
- RHINO HABITAT: SC panel slams Assam govt. for inaction on mining
- Centre should reconsider Mines Bill, Sateesh S. Bessen urges Modi
- Centre should recognize Mines Bill, … Sateshan? argues (small sidebar/continuation)
- Centre should reconsider Mines Bill, says Aakashn? Sareesh? (continued: Modi)
- Lok Sabha reply: Environmental safeguards and monitoring for beach sand/rare earth mineral mining