IITs to lead National Mineral Mission on rare earths, cut import dependence

India Today

3 days ago

The Centre has named seven academic institutions, including four IITs, as Centres of Excellence (CoEs) under the National Critical Mineral Mission, aiming to push forward research and innovation in key raw materials needed for clean energy, space, electronics and defence.The decision, approved by the Project Approval and Advisory Committee on Thursday, was formally announced by the Ministry of Mines on Friday.IITs TO LEAD RESEARCH ON CRITICAL MINERALS UNDER NEW NATIONAL MISSIONadvertisementAmong the seven institutions, four are Indian Institutes of Technology, IIT Bombay, IIT Hyderabad, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, and IIT Roorkee.
The other institutes will be named in the coming days.Each will function as a Centre of Excellence to lead focused research in identifying, sourcing, and processing minerals vital to sectors like clean energy, electronics, defence, and space.These centres will not work in isolation. Each CoE will follow a hub-and-spoke model, bringing together a consortium of researchers and labs to strengthen India's scientific base in critical mineral technologies.The goal is to combine the specialised skills of multiple institutions under one coordinated programme.The Ministry had earlier invited proposals from interested institutions. A two-stage evaluation process followed, looking at technical strength, past research work, and relevance to national needs.CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE TO DRIVE INNOVATION, REDUCE IMPORT DEPENDENCE BY 2031The Centres of Excellence are part of the broader National Critical Mineral Mission, approved by the Union Cabinet in January this year. The mission runs from 2024-25 to 2030–31, with the larger aim of reducing the country's import dependence in key raw materials and building domestic capacity in areas like rare earths, lithium, and cobalt.Critical minerals are essential for technologies that support energy transition, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles. They also play a vital role in semiconductors, satellites, and communication equipment.India currently imports a large share of these raw materials.The new mission focuses on exploring domestic reserves, improving refining techniques, and encouraging sustainable practices in extraction.By turning top research institutes into focused centres, the government hopes to fill knowledge gaps and develop home-grown solutions.The CoEs are expected to provide technical inputs for policy and help industries adopt better sourcing and production methods.The move comes at a time when many countries are reassessing their critical mineral supply chains. India's response, through a coordinated R&D approach, reflects a shift from reliance to readiness.- Ends