TEXMiN and Russia's GIREDMET sign MoU for rare earth and critical mineral technologies

Key facts

• TEXMiN Foundation (TEXMiN), the Technology Translation Research Park under the Department of Science & Technology (DST) at Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad (IIT (ISM) Dhanbad), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russia's GIREDMET.
• GIREDMET, formally the State Research and Design Institute of Rare Metal Industry, is a research institute under the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation.
• The agreement was signed during the Industry-Institute Interaction 2026 (III-2026) conclave and exhibition held at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.
• The partnership aims to establish a framework for cooperation across the mining value chain, including exploration, mineral beneficiation, extraction, separation, refining, and advanced materials development.
• A key focus area is the development of high-coercivity permanent magnet blocks based on neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B), supported by a complete rare earth metallurgical cycle.
• The collaboration will explore hydrometallurgical recycling technologies for lithium-ion batteries to recover lithium, nickel, and cobalt.
• The institutions will develop recovery solutions for critical minerals from legacy mine dumps, tailings, and low-grade or complex ores.
• The planned work includes digital twin-enabled smart processing plants integrating artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and sensor systems.
• The initiative aligns with India's National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) and Russia's Federal Project for the Development of Rare Metal Industry.
• Representatives from TEXMiN and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad will participate in the International Congress on Rare Metals, Materials and Related Technologies (RAREMET-2026) in Moscow from 20 to 22 May 2026.