A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NLC India Limited (NLCIL) and CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI), Karaikudi, for cooperation in the extraction and beneficiation of strategic and critical minerals. This is a big deal for India’s critical mineral ecosystem.
This agreement, which was inked at Neyveli on June 10, 2026, is in line with the National Critical Mineral Mission of the Indian government. This mission aims to ensure that India has access to strategic mineral resources that are necessary for industrial growth, clean energy technology, and advanced manufacturing for the foreseeable future.
In the presence of top officials from both organisations, including NLCIL Chairman and Managing Director Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, the MoU was signed by Shri I.S. Jasper Rose, Executive Director (Mines & Land) of NLCIL, and Dr. K. Ramesha, Director of CSIR-CECRI.
Research on the possibility of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and other trace mineral recovery from overburden, mine waste, and tailings produced by NLCIL’s Neyveli Mines will be the primary emphasis of the partnership.
Opportunities in the critical minerals sector have been actively being explored by NLCIL from primary and secondary sources. Mine waste, lignite and coal overburden, and industrial tailings are potential sources of strategic minerals, and the corporation is investigating these possibilities in national-level programs.
In this regard, NLCIL has previously conducted substantial research on the possible presence and extraction of essential minerals and Rare Earth Elements from secondary resource materials.
As part of the recently inked agreement, the two groups will work together to undertake comprehensive scientific evaluations and research programs with the goal of creating mineral recovery methods that are both environmentally friendly and economically feasible.
The collaboration will look into potential synergies between Neyveli and other mining and exploration projects in the country run by NLCIL.
Attendees heard from NLC India Limited Chairman and Managing Director Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, who stressed that the partnership will fortify studies pertaining to the recovery of important minerals from secondary sources.
He made the point that India’s resource security and industrial growth might be boosted by innovative technologies created through the cooperation, which may help extract economic value from mine waste and tailings.
Motupalli claims that the program is in line with the goals of the National Critical Mineral Mission and that it bolsters Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan for India, Viksit Bharat 2047. This plan prioritises technical advancement, independence, and long-term sustainability.
Ensuring local availability of critical minerals and rare earth elements is a strategic goal for India due to their growing importance in areas including electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, defence technology, and advanced manufacturing.
Both institutes have been serving the nation for over seven decades and have developed significant research and industrial skills, as Dr. K. Ramesha, Director of CSIR-CECRI, pointed out.
He was optimistic that the collaboration will lead to significant discoveries in science and technology, which would help India’s position in global mineral supply chains.
Sustainable resource utilisation and circular economy techniques will be promoted through the partnership, which is anticipated to make a substantial contribution to decreasing reliance on strategic mineral imports.
India has made great strides in securing vital mineral resources and developing indigenous extraction technology, and the NLC India-CSIR-CECRI relationship is a significant milestone in these endeavours. Resource security, technical self-reliance, sustainable energy transition, and the broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 are all supported by the collaboration’s focus on Rare Earth Elements and mineral recovery from secondary resources.
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