In a significant boost to Telangana’s scientific ecosystem, the Union Ministry of Mines has approved two centres of excellence (CoEs) for critical minerals research at IIT-Hyderabad and the Non-Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre (NFTDC).

Part of the Rs 16,300 crore National Critical Mineral Mission launched in January, these CoEs aim to reduce India’s import dependence and secure raw materials vital for clean energy, defence, electronics, and space technologies. An additional Rs 18,000 crore will be mobilised from PSUs to support the mission. Nationally, seven CoEs will be established — four at IITs (Hyderabad, Bombay, Dhanbad, Roorkee) and three at leading research institutes (CSIR-IMMT, CSIR-NML, NFTDC).

The government will provide targeted grants, Rs 500 crore for broader R&D, and Rs 500 crore for developing competitive human resources. IIT-Hyderabad has recently signed an MoU with Coal India to set up CLEANZ for sustainable energy research. NFTDC is advancing compact electronics, alternative magnet technologies, novel magnetometry methods, and rare-earth magnets crucial for EVs and high-tech applications.