Irha News English (Hyderabad) December 22nd, 2023The Geological Survey of India (GSI) hosted a landmark workshop on “Emerging Technologies in Mineral Exploration” at the M S Krishnan Auditorium, GSI Training Institute, Hyderabad, on 22nd December 2023. The workshop was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India, Shri V.L. Kantha Rao, marked a pivotal moment in the field of mineral exploration.Speaking on the occasion Shri V.L. Kantha Rao, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, stressed upon the dire need for the use of new age technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in accelerating the mineral exploration activities in our country. He said that the conventional ways to process the geoscientific data are time consuming, expensive and sometimes limited in their accuracy. With advent of new technology and AI and ML, geological data are gradually characterized by elements of big data involving quantity, value, diversity, and timeliness. In the arena of big-data technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) methods, along with the development of high-performance computing have proven to be effective in finding good prospective mineral models. Specking on this occasion, he urged the Govt. PSUs and private stake holders to make best use of vast geoscientific data from National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) platform of GSI. He also directed to arrange 20 such workshops in different parts of the country to promote the ecosystem of exploration using AI and ML. He thrusted upon the need to take the advantage of Drone survey for mapping to save time. Shri Rao in his address appealed all notified exploration agencies and start-ups working in the field of exploration to put special focus on critical minerals, potash and concealed deposits. Finally, he urged all the State Governments to work in tandem with GSI and continue to organize such workshops as follow up action. Addressing the august gathering, Shri Janardan Prasad, Director General, GSI emphasized the vital role of mineral exploration in fostering the economic development of our Nation. GSI plans to deploy advanced technologies like drones, AI, and ML for more efficient and accurate mineral prospecting, saving valuable time and resources while uncovering concealed deposits. He stated that with the advent of AI and ML technology in the field of mineral exploration, integration of various datasets using time-tested Machine.
