NITI Aayog, TEXMiN join hands to strengthen critical minerals technology
A collaboration between NITI Aayog and TEXMiN will promote indigenous research, technology development and recycling to strengthen India's critical mineral value chains and reduce strategic supply-chain vulnerabilities.
The agreement was signed during a visit by NITI Aayog Member Prof. Gobardhan Das to IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.
DHANBAD: NITI Aayog and TEXMiN, a Technology Translation Research Park established at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad under the Department of Science and Technology, have agreed to collaborate on strengthening India’s critical and strategic minerals ecosystem, with a focus on indigenous technologies, research and sustainable supply chains.
The two institutions signed a Joint Statement of Intent to advance collaborative research, technology development and policy support in the sector. The initiative is aligned with the objectives of the National Critical Mineral Mission and the vision of an Aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat.
The agreement envisages cooperation in four areas: collaborative research and technology development; technical and strategic studies; policy and institutional support; and capacity building and knowledge exchange.
The partnership seeks to strengthen links among government, academia, research institutions and industry, while accelerating the translation of research into technologies that can be deployed commercially.
The agreement was signed during a visit by NITI Aayog Member Prof. Gobardhan Das to IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. He also inaugurated the National Symposium on Critical Minerals and Rare Earths (CMRE 2026) on October 31, organised as part of the 45th Annual National Conference of the Indian Council of Chemists.
Addressing the symposium, Prof. Das described critical minerals as strategic enablers of national security, technological self-reliance and India’s development ambitions for 2047. He called for an integrated approach to the sector, moving beyond mining to cover exploration, processing, refining, advanced materials and recycling.
He also highlighted opportunities to recover critical minerals from secondary resources, including coal fly ash, red mud, mine tailings and electronic waste. Such recovery could support more sustainable resource utilisation while expanding the sources available for critical minerals.
The discussions underscored the importance of building domestic technological capabilities and strengthening collaboration between research institutions and industry to convert scientific advances into commercially viable solutions.
The partnership is expected to support India’s efforts to develop resilient critical mineral value chains and strengthen its technological self-reliance.
