Nagpur University joins IIT-Mumbai-led critical minerals mission to secure resources vital for semiconductors, batteries, and electronics, reducing India’s import dependence.
Nagpur University’s Geology Department has been recognised as an academic unit under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM), with IIT-Mumbai named as the Centre of Excellence. The move strengthens India’s push to secure vital resources for semiconductors, batteries, and electronic components.
The ₹343 billion, seven-year mission, approved by the Union Cabinet in January 2025, seeks to cut import dependence on lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths, and platinum group metals. Covering exploration, mining, processing, recycling, and extraction from end-of-life products, NCMM is expected to boost clean energy, EVs, defence, electronics, and high-tech manufacturing.
Critical minerals are central to electronics production, with rare earths, gallium, and germanium indispensable for semiconductors and components, while lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite are essential for batteries. By strengthening upstream research and sourcing, the mission aims to fortify India’s electronics supply chain resilience.
NCMM will operate on a hub-and-spoke model, coordinated by IIT-Mumbai. Academic spokes include Nagpur University, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Bhubaneswar, IISER-Pune, CSIR-NEERI Nagpur, CoEP Technical University, Amity University Bengaluru, University of Mumbai, and Shivaji University Kolhapur. Industrial partners range from Hindalco, OLA, Attero Recycling, and Lohum to MECL, Evergreen RecycleKaro, Asterix Innovation, and the Material Recycling Association of India.
The first Centre of Excellence was inaugurated at IIT-Mumbai on August 23, 2025, by Mines Secretary Kantha Rao, with academic, industrial, and ministerial stakeholders present. A seminar in Hyderabad on September 16, 2025, will showcase research outcomes from the hubs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address, called NCMM a driver for domestic exploration and energy import reduction.
Professor Kirtikumar Randive, Head of Postgraduate Geology, Nagpur University, said: “Our team will focus on upstream work, identifying potential source rocks for critical minerals.”
“Our research group has already published papers on platinum group elements and rare earth minerals, including the discovery of PGE in the Deccan Traps.”
