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The Ministry of Mines, Government of India, has designated the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, as one of the Centres of Excellence (CoE) under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM). With a budget of Rs 16,300 crore, the Mission aims to enhance India’s self-reliance in critical minerals essential for clean energy, defence, and advanced technology sectors. The CoE will develop an Integrated Critical Minerals Research and Development Facility encompassing the entire value chain from exploration and extraction to processing and recycling, it stated in an official press release. It aims to create modular pilot-scale plants using indigenous processes and equipment technologies to reduce import dependence and promote sustainable growth. The CoE also plans to collaborate with industry partners through IISc’s Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID) to translate research into scalable industrial solutions. Speaking on the recognition, Omprakash Subbarao, CEO, FSID CORE at IISc, said, “We are delighted that IISc has been recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Ministry of Mines under the National Critical Mineral Mission. This milestone marks a decisive step toward building India’s indigenous capabilities in the critical-mineral value chain from exploration to processing and recycling. By catalysing industry-academia partnerships and deploying pilot-scale innovations at IISc, we aim to strengthen our strategic autonomy, support the energy transition, and enable advanced-technology ecosystems. Together, we will help transform research into action and elevate India’s role on the global critical-minerals stage.” To support India’s Green Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Mission, the Institute also plans to recycle platinum group elements (PGEs) from spent auto catalysts, aiming for up to 90% recovery efficiency through high-throughput systems integrated with PGE separation and purification technologies, the institute stated. IISc Bengaluru aims to reduce dependence on imported tungsten carbide by developing a direct carbide recycling route, allowing end-of-life carbide tools to be reused with minimal energy input. In parallel, the Institute is partnering with industry to recover rare-earth oxides from mineral-processing tailings, creating circular value chains in critical materials.
