Monash University in Australia and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad have announced a collaboration to establish the Australia-India Critical Minerals Research Hub (AICMRH). This initiative, approved by India’s Ministry of Education, aims to enhance expertise in critical mineral extraction and processing, economic geology, sustainable mining practices, and supply chain analysis.
IIT Hyderabad takes lead in Critical Minerals Research hub
On May 30, IIT Hyderabad issued a statement highlighting the hub's objectives. These include providing expert advice on criticality assessments and fostering sustainable resource management practices. The G20's commitment to diversifying supply chains for energy transitions, an essential step towards achieving global sustainability, is in line with this collaboration.
The creation of AICMRH is part of a broader strategy by the Ministry of Education and the government of India, which has established the Empowered Committee for Industry and International Collaborations (ECIIC). Critical minerals have been designated as one of the 12 focal themes for ECIIC, with IIT Hyderabad taking the lead.
The hub is the result of a proposal from the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC), spearheaded by IIT Hyderabad and Monash University. This proposal has united various Indian and Australian universities, R&D laboratories, and industry partners in the critical minerals sector. Recently, the Ministry sanctioned funding of $1.15 million to support this initiative, expected to significantly strengthen India-Australia ties in critical mineral research.
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Professor Craig Jeffrey, Deputy Vice Chancellor (International) and Senior Vice President of Monash University, said, “This is a fantastic achievement that will greatly enhance collaborative research across India and Australia in a number of critically important areas." Professor BS Murty of IIT Hyderabad and Professor Susan Elliott AM, Provost and Senior Vice President of Monash, formalised this partnership with a memorandum of agreement in 2023.
Professor Murty said, “The AICMRH provides an exciting opportunity for India and Australia to work together to expand its increasingly important mineral resources partnership.”
“This strategic partnership embodies a concerted effort to drive impactful advancements in the critical minerals’ domain, fostering innovation and knowledge exchange on an international scale.”
The establishment of AICMRH also aligns with India's National Education Policy and Australia's Researcher Cooperation Hub (ARCH-India).
