BHUBANESWAR: Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) has roped in Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), a unit of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), for technical and knowledge cooperation for critical minerals.
As per the agreement, KABIL will leverage the technical expertise and services of IMMT to undertake various projects including the design and analysis of metallurgical test work-plans, development and review of process flow sheets, and the selection process of technologies for mineral processing, beneficiation, and metal extraction. The collaboration will also embark on joint research and facilitate the exchange of scientific information between the two entities.
CMD of Nalco and chairman of KABIL, Sridhar Patra said the partnership with IMMT will foster a thriving environment needed for exploration of critical minerals. Advancing scientific research and technology development in the mineral and metallurgical sectors are essential to the growth and sustainability of the Indian mining industry.
It will ultimately play a pivotal role in meeting mineral security of the nation as well as domestic requirements, he said. KABIL is a joint venture company of three Indian public sector enterprises - Nalco, Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL), under the aegis of Ministry of Mines.
KABIL has been instituted to identify, explore, acquire, develop, mine, process and procure critical and strategic minerals to ensure supply side assurance and mineral security of the nation for meeting domestic requirements and give a big push to Make-in-India initiative.
An MoU was signed by director (commercial) of Nalco and CEO of KABIL Sadashiv Samantaray and director of IMMT Ramanuj Narayan in this connection on Wednesday.