BENGALURU: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, is recognised by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India as one of the Centres of Excellence (CoE) under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM).
Launched with a budget of Rs 16,300 crore, the Mission aims to strengthen India’s self-reliance in critical minerals vital for clean energy, defence, and advanced technology sectors, according to a press release on Saturday.
The newly established CoE at IISc will set up an Integrated Critical Minerals Research and Development Facility covering the entire value chain right from exploration and extraction to processing and recycling.
It will design modular pilot-scale plants using indigenous process and equipment technologies to reduce import dependence and drive sustainable growth. The CoE will also collaborate with industry partners through IISc’s Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID) to translate research into scalable industrial solutions, the release added.
IISc will pioneer a greener lithium-ion battery recycling process, offering a sustainable alternative to the conventional black-mass route currently exported due to inefficient recovery systems. To support India’s Green Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Mission, the Institute will also recycle platinum group elements (PGEs) from spent auto catalysts, targeting up to 90% recovery efficiency through high-throughput systems integrated with PGE separation and purification technologies.
Speaking on the recognition, Omprakash Subbarao, CEO, FSID CORE at IISc, said, “This milestone marks a decisive step toward building India’s indigenous capabilities in the critical-mineral value chain right 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.”