New Delhi – Deccan Gold Mines Ltd announced on Thursday that India’s first large private gold mine, located in Andhra Pradesh, is expected to commence full-scale production shortly.
This development is particularly noteworthy as India imports approximately 1,000 tonnes of gold each year, making it the largest importer of gold after oil. Deccan Gold Mines Ltd (DGML), which is the first and only gold exploration company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, has an interest in Geomysore Services India Ltd, the entity responsible for developing the Jonnagiri gold project in Andhra Pradesh.
The Jonnagiri project has recently received environmental clearances in June and July, and state-level approvals are in progress. Hanuma Prasad, Managing Director of Deccan Gold Mines Ltd, stated on the sidelines of the CII India Mining Summit 2025, “The project stabilization is ongoing… only the technology of the plant is being worked out… full-scale production will begin very soon.”
Once operational, the mine is projected to yield approximately 750 kilograms of gold annually, with plans to scale up production to 1,000 tonnes within two to three years. Prasad noted, “India’s production of gold as of today is 1.5 tonnes… once our mine starts, nearly one more tonne will be added.”
The gold mine is situated near the villages of Jonnagiri, Erragudi, and Pagadirayi within the Tuggali Mandalam of the Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh. Founded in 2003 by promoters with extensive backgrounds in exploration and mining, DGML has engaged in gold exploration in India and internationally.
The company’s mining assets include locations across the Indian peninsula, as well as international projects in Kyrgyzstan, Finland, and Tanzania.
Published on September 18, 2025
