TEXMiN Foundation signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GIREDMET JSC, Russia’s State Research and Design Institute of Rare Metal Industry, to collaborate in rare earth processing, critical minerals, advanced materials and translational mining technologies.
The agreement was signed during the Industry-Institute Interaction 2026 (III-2026) conclave at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.
Why this MoU is important
- Critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs) are vital for:
- Energy transition (EVs, wind turbines, solar)
- Electronics manufacturing
- Defence and strategic sectors
- High-performance magnets and advanced materials
- The partnership supports:
- India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision
- India’s National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM)
- Russia’s Federal Project for the Development of Rare Metal Industry
Both countries share strategic priorities of:
- Securing critical raw materials
- Building indigenous processing capacity
- Developing advanced materials
- Strengthening resilient industrial value chains
Scope of MoU
The MoU establishes a comprehensive cooperation framework across the entire mining value chain, including:
- Exploration
- Mineral beneficiation
- Extraction
- Separation
- Refining
- Advanced materials development
It aims to raise technologies to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and enable industry-facing pilot demonstrations.
Key areas of collaboration
1. Joint R&D in rare earth and critical mineral processing
- Development of process technologies
- Pilot-scale validation
- Technology translation under the Technology Translation Research Park (TTRP) framework
GIREDMET’s technologies will be validated and scaled at TEXMiN’s translational research ecosystem.
2. Permanent magnet technologies (strategic thrust area)
A major focus 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
These magnets are critical for:
- Electric vehicles
- Wind turbines
- Defence systems
- High-performance motors
3. High-purity metals and advanced materials
The partnership will target:
- High-purity metals and alloys
- Refractory metal powders
- Materials for electronics and optics
- Rare earth magnets
4. Recycling and circular economy technologies
The collaboration will explore:
- Hydrometallurgical recycling technologies for lithium-ion batteries
- Recovery of Lithium
- Nickel
- Cobalt
- Recovery of critical minerals from:
- Legacy mine dumps
- Tailings
- Low-grade or complex ores
This supports sustainable resource management and reduces import dependence.
5. Digital and AI integration
The MoU includes development of:
- Digital twin-enabled smart processing plants
- Integration of:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Machine Learning (ML)
- Advanced sensor systems
This will modernize mineral processing and enhance operational efficiency.
Institutional background
TEXMiN Foundation
- A Section 8 company
- Established under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)
- Supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST)
- Based at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
GIREDMET
- Part of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, Russia
- Specializes in:
- Rare earth metallurgy
- Advanced process engineering
- Rare metal materials development
Capacity building and knowledge exchange
The MoU provides for:
- Expert exchanges
- Joint doctoral supervision
- Specialised training programmes
- Advisory and technical support to:
- Governments
- Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)
- Industry stakeholders
Next steps
Representatives from TEXMiN and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad will participate in the International Congress on Rare Metals, Materials and Related Technologies (RAREMET-2026) in Moscow (20–22 May 2026), where global challenges in rare metals will be discussed.
Strategic and economic significance
- Strengthens India–Russia cooperation in high-technology sectors
- Enhances India’s self-reliance in:
- Rare earth processing
- Advanced magnet manufacturing
- Battery metal recovery
- Supports:
- Clean energy transition
- Electronics manufacturing
- Strategic and defence sectors
- Aligns with:
- National Critical Mineral Mission
- Atmanirbhar Bharat
- Sustainable industrial development