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The country's first private gold mine since independence began operating at Jonnagiri village (now called Swarnagiri) in the Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, which has been a milestone in the country's mining industry. Geomysore Services India Pvt Ltd has developed the ₹405 crore project, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

The integrated gold mining and processing facility is expected to produce approximately 400 kg of gold in the first year (2026-27) and get ramped up to approximately 900 kg of gold per annum from the second year onwards. In the future, it may be expanded to a production capacity of 2 tonnes a year. The certified reserves of the mine are 13.1 tonnes, and there is potential for much more.

This is likely to bring in significant revenue for the state from royalties (estimated at ₹144 crore, assuming that 900 kg is produced) and provide for approximately 700 jobs, primarily for the locals. It is a huge step in the direction of minimizing the dependency on the import of gold, which is more than 800 tonnes per year, and increasing the production of minerals at the domestic level.