Mines Ministry expands critical mineral research network with two new Centres of Excellence

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 25, 2025

In a significant boost to India’s efforts toward self-reliance in critical mineral technologies, the Union Mines Ministry has recognized two more Centres of Excellence (CoEs) — the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), Hyderabad — under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM).

With this, the total number of recognized Centres of Excellence has risen to nine, further expanding the country’s research network in the field of critical minerals that underpin the clean energy, advanced technology, and strategic sectors.

The decision was approved at the Project Approval and Advisory Committee (PAAC) meeting held on October 24, 2025, co-chaired by Piyush Goyal, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, and Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology.

Critical raw materials form the backbone of the supply chain for fast-emerging sectors such as renewable energy, electric mobility, electronics, defence, and space. Recognizing their strategic importance, the Ministry of Mines launched the NCMM to build a robust domestic capability in exploration, extraction, processing, and recycling of these vital resources.

The newly recognized CoEs will promote innovative and transformational research across the critical mineral value chain. They will focus on developing, demonstrating, and deploying advanced technologies with an end-to-end systems approach, aiming to reach higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 7–8) through pilot plant and pre-commercial demonstrations.

Operating under a Hub-and-Spoke model, each CoE will function as a consortium of academia, R&D institutions, and industry. According to the Ministry’s guidelines, every CoE (as the hub institute) must partner with at least two industry players and two R&D or academic institutions to ensure collaborative, application-driven outcomes.

Together, the nine recognized Centres of Excellence have already onboarded around 90 industry and academic/R&D partners, marking a major stride in India’s pursuit of technological leadership and supply chain resilience in critical minerals.

The initiative aligns with India’s broader national priorities of energy transition, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and strategic resource security, enabling the country to reduce dependence on imports and emerge as a global innovation hub for critical mineral technologies.