The Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, in collaboration with its Technology Translation Research Park TEXMiN, has inaugurated the Centre of Research Excellence in Mining and Innovation for Critical Materials (CoRE-MiN), a recognised Centre of Excellence (CoE) under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) of the Ministry of Mines, Government of India.
The Centre was formally inaugurated at the IIT (ISM) Dhanbad campus by G Kishan Reddy, Minister of Coal and Mines, in the presence of B Sairam, Chairman of Coal India Limited and Prof Sukumar Mishra, Director of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and Chairman of the Hub Governing Board of TEXMiN Foundation.
The launch marks the operationalisation of CoRE-MiN, building on IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and TEXMiN’s earlier recognition as one of the nine national Centres of Excellence under the NCMM. Anchored academically at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and supported by TEXMiN as its translational and industry-interface backbone, the Centre represents a major milestone in strengthening India’s capabilities across the critical minerals value chain from exploration and processing to recycling and deployment.
CoRE-MiN brings together a strong consortium of national and international partners. Academic collaborators include leading institutions such as IIT Gandhinagar, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, Curtin University, the University of Cambridge and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, contributing expertise across mineral exploration, processing technologies, and critical mineral systems. Industry participation is led by organisations including Hindustan Copper Limited, MOIL Limited, Odisha Mining Corporation, Jindal Steel and other domestic and global technology partners, enabling field validation, pilot-scale demonstrations and real-world deployment of innovations.
Aligned closely with the objectives of the National Critical Mineral Mission, CoRE-MiN’s research agenda focuses on AI and machine learning–enabled mineral exploration, digital rock-core characterisation, real-time traceability of critical raw materials and advanced beneficiation and recycling solutions. These initiatives aim to build secure, resilient and transparent supply chains for minerals essential to clean energy technologies, electric mobility, electronics, defence and other strategic sectors.
Speaking at the inauguration, Prof Sukumar Mishra said the establishment of CoRE-MiN marked “a defining moment for IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and TEXMiN,” adding that the Centre would drive impactful research and technology translation through deep academic, industrial, and international collaboration in support of India’s goal of self-reliance in critical minerals.
Prof Dheeraj Kumar, Deputy Director of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Project Director of TEXMiN, and Head of the Centre of Excellence, highlighted TEXMiN’s role as the translational backbone of CoRE-MiN. He noted that the focus would be on converting high-quality research into deployable technologies, particularly in AI-driven exploration, core digitisation, traceability platforms, and pilot-scale beneficiation of critical minerals.
