Mining the Future: India's Innovation Hubs for Critical Minerals

The Ministry of Mines has issued detailed guidelines for setting up Centres of Excellence (CoEs) under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), with a strong emphasis on research and technological advancement.

These CoEs will undertake end-to-end research, from extraction to beneficiation of critical minerals sourced from various origins. Their work will focus on scaling technologies to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), aiming for TRL 7 or 8 through pilot-scale and pre-commercial demonstrations.

This integrated approach is designed to bridge the gap between lab-scale innovation and industrial deployment, positioning CoEs as central hubs of expertise. Only reputed academic and R&D institutions meeting defined eligibility criteria will be designated as CoEs. These centres will drive transformative research, fostering innovation and multidisciplinary problem-solving to strengthen India's capabilities in critical mineral development.

Each CoE will function under a hub-and-spoke model, led by a central ‘Hub’ institution. The Hub must collaborate with at least two industry partners and two academic or research organisations. This consortium approach aims to pool core strengths and create synergies for accelerated innovation in mineral technologies.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.