Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Director IITH B S Murthy at Australia-India Critical Minerals Research Hub workshop organised at IITH in association with Monash University of Australia on Friday in Sangareddy District.
| Photo Credit: MOHD ARIF
Advancing research and innovation in critical minerals with a focus on sustainable methods for mineral exploration, extraction and recycling as the theme, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, on Saturday concluded its two-day workshop.
The Australia-India Critical Minerals Research Hub (AICMRH) symposium co-organised by Monash University saw attendance of researchers, academicians, and Industry leaders from across India and Australia.
The first day featured keynote and expert talks and the concluding day, with workshops and deliberations, marked a roadmap for research priorities between Australia and India.
According to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who was present to share the Telangana government’s commitment, “critical minerals are the building blocks of green energy and sustainable development, and they play a key role in achieving the goals of renewable energy, battery storage, and green Hydrogen.”
He said the government was committed to fostering sustainable mining, green energy and innovation. By advancing green hydrogen technology, the target is to produce 20,000 MW green energy by 2030, he said.
For Consul General Hilary McGeachy (Australia Consulate-General), critical minerals is a key area of Australia-India collaboration. “These initiatives drive commercial links, sustainable practices and supply chain diversification in support of the transition to clean energy,” she said.
The AICMRH is a dedicated centre for research and promoting sustainable mining innovations and was established through a MoU between IIT Hyderabad and Monash University. The Ministry of Education approved $1.1 million as the first instalment under the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) Scheme for the programme and it serves scholarships, research fellowships, and collaborative visits for Australian scholars to India. The programme also aligns the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) and the Australian Researcher Cooperation Hub (ARCH-India), and aims to unite leading academicians, researchers, and industry leaders from Australia and India to collaborate to harness collective expertise.
According to Joint Secretary (Mines) Dinesh Mahur, the collaboration between industry and academia is vital to develop in-country processing and recycling capabilites, reducing dependence on external sources. And by strengthening the supply chain, self-sufficiency and sustainable growth can be achieved.
The two-day workshop also witnessed a MoU between IIT Hyderabad and The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) for joint research initiatives focused on sustainable mining practices, to promote responsible mining, enhance technological advancement in mineral exploration and recycling.
High Commissioner of India to Australia Gopal Baglay, SCCL CMD N. Balaram, Director (IITH) BS Murty, Mohan Yellishetty of Monash University, and others were present.
Published – January 04, 2025 09:21 pm IST
