In August 2025, the Ministry of Mines (MoM) has recognized 7 institutes, including 4 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and 3 Research & Development (R&D) Labs as the Centres of Excellence (CoEs) under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM).
- This development came after the Project Approval and Advisory Committee (PAC) granted approval in its meeting, co-chaired by V.L. Kantha Rao, Secretary of the MoM, and Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology (MoS&T).
Exam Hints:
- What? Recognition of 7 Institutes (4 IIT, and 3 R&D Labs) as CoEs
- Recognised by: MoM
- Under: National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM)
- Purpose: Advance R&D in critical minerals
- 4 IITs Recognised as CoEs: IIT Bombay; IIT Hyderabad; IIT-ISM Dhanbad; and IIT Roorkee
- Other Institutes: CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar (Odisha); CSIR-NML, Jamshedpur (Jharkhand); and NFTDC, Hyderabad (Telangana).
About 7 CoEs :
Names of IITs: The names of IITs which got recognition from MoM as CoEs are: IIT Bombay (IIT-B) (Maharashtra); IIT Hyderabad (Telangana); IIT-Indian School of Mines (ISM) Dhanbad (Jharkhand); and IIT Roorkee (IIT-R) (Uttarakhand).
Names of 3 R&D Labs: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT), Bhubaneswar (Odisha); CSIR-National Metallurgical (NML), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand); and Non-Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre (NFTDC), Hyderabad (Telangana).
Key Functions: These CoEs will Initiate innovative and transformational research to bolster and advance the country’s science and technology capability in the area of critical minerals.
Funding: The CoEs recognized under NCMM will be funded on a project basis by various government R&D schemes, industry and venture investors.
Hub & Spoke Model: As per MoM, each CoE will function as a consortium, based on a Hub & Spoke model, to use R&D in critical minerals and bringing the core competence of each constituent under one umbrella.
Key Mandate: The CoE (Hub Institute) has been mandated according to the CoE guidelines to bring minimum 2 industry partners and minimum 2 R&D/academic partners in the consortium.
About Critical Minerals:
Significance: Critical minerals are important components for emerging sectors of clean energy such as solar energy, wind energy etc. and mobility transition, in addition to advanced technology and strategic sectors like: electronics, defence, space, among others.
Total Critical Minerals Identified: A committee constituted by the Ministry of Mines (MoM) in November 2022 identified a total of 30 critical minerals essential for India’s economic and strategic needs.
- Out of these, 24 minerals, including Beryl (Be₃Al₂(SiO₃)₆), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Gallium (Ga), Graphite, Lithium (Li), and Nickel (Ni), among others, have been incorporated into Part D of Schedule I of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act, 1957).
About National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM):
Background: In January 2025, the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi approved the NCMM with an allocation of Rs 16,300 crore, envisaging a total outlay of Rs 34, 300 crore for a period of 7 years.
Aim: To boost domestic production, reduce reliance on imports, and promote exploration and responsible sourcing of critical minerals.
Key Task: Under NCMM, the Geographical Survey of India (GSI) has been entrusted with the responsibility to conduct 1,200 exploration projects from 2024-25 to 2030-31.
About Ministry of Mines (MoM):
Union Minister- Gangapuram (G.)Kishan Reddy (Constituency- Secunderabad, Telangana)
Minister of State (MoS)- Satish Chandra Dubey (Rajya Sabha – Bihar)
