Meteorite law in India
Since 2018 the Geological Survey of India has been the official custodian of meteorites, and every fall or find must be registered with its national repository.
Belongs to the state
The rule: in November 2018 the Ministry of Mines made the Geological Survey of India the sole custodian and curator of meteorites found within India. Every fall or find in the country is to be registered with the National Meteorite Repository at the survey's office in Kolkata soon after it is collected.
In practice the survey has long collected Indian falls, often with help from district officials, and it holds a major national collection. Shergotty, which fell in India in 1865, gave its name to the commonest kind of Martian meteorite. Selling or exporting an Indian meteorite without the survey's involvement is unwise and may be unlawful.
What to do: report a fall or find to the nearest Geological Survey office or to the district authorities.
This is general information to help you ask the right questions, not legal advice. Laws change and their details matter, and this summary was last reviewed in 2026. Before you search, buy, sell or export a meteorite, check the current law with the authorities of the country concerned or a qualified lawyer. See meteorite law by country.
Related pages
Glossary: Meteorite ownership, Export rules, Landowner permission, Provenance