One month after Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated commercial gold production at the country’s first private sector gold mine on June 24, 2026, the Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday officially renamed the Jonnagiri Gold Mine in Kurnool district as Swarnagiri Gold Mine.
Principal Secretary (Mines) Mukesh Kumar Meena issued G.O. Ms. No. 181 to this effect.
Spread over 597.820 hectares across Pagidirai, Jonnagiri and Yerragudi villages of Tuggali mandal, the mine primarily produces gold, along with silver, copper, lead and zinc. GeoMysore Services India Pvt. Ltd., which holds a 30-year mining lease, operates the project using advanced open-pit mining and integrated mineral processing technologies.
The government said the new name reflected the mine’s national importance as India’s first private sector gold mine established after Independence. Derived from the Sanskrit words Swarna (gold) and Giri (hill), the name also acknowledges the region’s long-standing association with gold mining.
The mine lies within the Jonnagiri Greenstone Belt of the Eastern Dharwar Craton, where geological and archaeological evidence points to gold extraction dating back several centuries. Ancient mining remains discovered in the area have also drawn the attention of the Geological Survey of India.
The government directed GeoMysore Services India Pvt. Ltd. to incorporate the new name in all mining plans and statutory approvals. It also instructed the Indian Bureau of Mines, Environment Department, Pollution Control Board and Directorate General of Mines Safety to update their official records immediately to reflect the new name.
Published – July 23, 2026 09:07 pm IST
