MUMBAI (Reuters) - Energy giant Reliance Industries has launched an initial survey for diamonds in central India, the Mint newspaper reported on Wednesday 11 November, citing unnamed government and company officials.

The company has been given two reconnaissance permits by the Madhya Pradesh government and has signed an agreement with it to search for diamonds, the paper said, quoting a senior government official.

The permit allows the company to undertake preliminary prospecting through regional, aerial, geophysical, geochemical surveys and geological mapping, but does not include pitting, trenching, drilling or sub-surface excavation, the paper said.

An unidentified Reliance official told the paper this was an initial phase of any diamond prospecting project.

Any mining, if anything was found, was a long way off, may be three to four years, he told the paper.

A spokesman for Reliance declined comment.

(Reporting by Janaki Krishnan; Editing by Ranjit Gangadharan)