The Ministry of Mines, Government of India, will organise the National District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Summit 2026 on 23–24 March 2026 at the SCOPE Convention Centre, New Delhi. The Summit, titled “Effective Utilization of District Mineral Funds for ADP/ABP Areas”, will be inaugurated by Union Minister of Coal & Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, in the august presence of the Union Minister of State for Coal & Mines, Shri Satish Chandra Dubey, and Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal. The Summit aims to strengthen inter-governmental coordination and identify policy reforms for improving the effective and outcome-oriented utilisation of DMF funds in mining-affected districts, particularly in Aspirational District Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Block Programme (ABP) areas.

The two-day Summit will bring together senior officials from Central Ministries, State Governments, District Administrations, NITI Aayog, and other stakeholders to deliberate on challenges, best practices, and reform measures related to DMF planning, implementation, and monitoring.

The Summit has been preceded by a focused consultative exercise led by the Ministry of Mines to capture State and district-level perspectives. A Concept Note outlining objectives and thematic areas was shared with DMF States, 306 DMF districts in ADP/ ABP areas, and NITI Aayog in January 2026. This was followed by a virtual national consultation with the States/ Districts chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Mines, and a follow-up in February 2026. State-level internal deliberations involving district administrations and State line departments were organized by the States. Subsequently, the States submitted summarised inputs highlighting key challenges, actionable recommendations, and examples of effective DMF-funded interventions.

Based on these inputs, the Ministry prepared a Comprehensive Final Note, which will serve as the principal reference document for deliberations during the Summit. The Summit will focus on effective fund utilization in ADP/ ABP areas, including aspects of governance, transparency, convergence, impact assessment and performance. Presentations will be made by the respected State representatives, NITI Aayog and BiSAG-N, followed by discussions by participating delegates.

On the sidelines of the Summit, a DMF Exhibition will be organized, showcasing successful projects and best practices funded through DMF resources across States. The exhibition will feature initiatives across priority sectors such as health, nutrition, water supply, education, skill development, livelihoods, renewable energy, and infrastructure, demonstrating the role of DMF funds in driving inclusive development in mining-affected and aspirational areas.

The National DMF Summit 2026 is expected to contribute towards building consensus on reform priorities, enhancing convergence with national development programmes, and strengthening the effective utilization of DMF funds for sustainable and inclusive development.

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Prajith Kumar MV