IIT (ISM) Dhanbad’s TEXMiN partners Moscow institute for critical minerals research

The TEXMiN Foundation at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad has signed a pact with a Russian institute to strengthen bilateral cooperation in rare earth permanent magnet technologies and advanced metallurgical research.

TEXMiN Foundation at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad on Friday said it has signed a pact with Moscow-based State Research and Design Institute of Rare Metal Industry to strengthen bilateral cooperation in rare earth permanent magnet technologies, critical minerals and advanced metallurgical research.

The agreement was signed during the International Congress on Rare Metals, Materials and Related Technologies (RAREMET-2026) being held in Moscow, Russia.

''TEXMiN Foundation (Technology Translation Research Park, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India), Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad, and Joint Stock Company GIREDMET, Moscow, Russia, have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI),'' the TEXMiN Foundation said in a statement.

Under the agreement, the two organisations will collaborate on joint research, development, pilot validation and technology translation related to NdFeB rare-earth permanent magnet technologies, it said.

The proposed collaboration includes joint research and development on neodymium magnet alloy preparation, sintering, and high-coercivity magnet processing covering the full rare-earth metallurgy cycle.

The collaboration will also focus on recovery and extraction of rare earth elements from tailings dams, legacy waste heaps, and spent magnets to support circular and sustainable critical mineral value chains.

In addition, both organisations have agreed to undertake joint scientific research, academic and expert exchanges, materials characterisation, doctoral and applied research collaboration, and advisory support for Indian and Russian programmes related to rare earths and critical minerals.

''We view cooperation with JSC GIREDMET as a strategically important step in developing Indian expertise in the field of rare earth magnets and critical minerals,'' Professor Dheeraj Kumar, Project Director, TEXMiN and Deputy Director of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, said.

''The combination of TEXMiN's scientific potential and GIREDMET's technological expertise will create the foundation for scaling up NdFeB technologies and establishing a full production cycle in India,'' he added.

Prof Sukumar Mishra, Director, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and chairman, Hub Governing Board, TEXMiN Foundation, said, ''The global transition towards clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and strategic technologies has significantly increased the importance of critical minerals and rare earth materials.''.

This collaboration reflects the growing importance of international scientific partnerships in strengthening technology capabilities, innovation ecosystems, and resilient supply chains, he added.

''We believe such engagements will contribute meaningfully towards India's long-term vision of technological self-reliance and sustainable industrial growth in strategically important sectors,'' he said.

The statement further outlines the intent of both organisations to jointly develop a concrete project proposal with defined technical objectives, implementation milestones, and future funding pathways through designated technical teams and collaborative research engagements.

TEXMiN IIT(ISM) Dhanbad is a company with a status of Technology Translation Research Park (TTRP) set up by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad under the aegis of the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).

TEXMiN aims to develop commercially feasible mineral exploration and mining solutions using cyber-physical systems such as IOT, AI/ML, blockchain, drones, robotics, and satellite imagery.

RAREMET-2026, organised by GIREDMET, is regarded as one of the largest international forums in Russia dedicated to rare metals, rare earth materials, advanced technologies, and sustainable industrial development.

The congress has brought together nearly 1,000 professionals, including leading scientists, technologists, government representatives, mining and metallurgical experts, and industry stakeholders from across more than 20 countries to deliberate on the future of global rare metal and critical mineral ecosystems.