Lok Sabha Question No. 2799 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: CoEs under Critical Mineral Mission
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri Putta Mahesh Kumar, Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2799

ANSWERED ON 17.12.2025

## CoEs UNDER CRITICAL MINERAL MISSION

## 2799. SHRI PUTTA MAHESH KUMAR: SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the list of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) proposed, under construction and presently functional across the country, State-wise;
- (b) the details of the total number of individuals part of such CoE's over the last five years across the country, CoE-wise;
- (c) the details of the total number of research initiatives proposed, under consideration and presently implemented in each CoE;
- (d) the details of the total amount of funding allocated, released and utilised during the last five years, CoE-wise; and
- (e) whether the Government has any plans of expanding the number of CoE's in the country and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a)  to  (e): Centres of Excellence  (CoEs)  is  an  initiative  under  the  National  Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) for focussed research & development (R&D) to strengthen domestic capabilities in the critical mineral value chain. NCMM was set up in January 2025,  following  which  the  guidelines  for  CoEs  were  issued  in  April  2025.  As  per guidelines,  existing  institutions  including  academic  and  R&D  institutes,  fulfilling prescribed criteria,  are  recognized  as  CoEs.  Nine  premier  institutes  of  the  country have been recognized as CoEs under NCMM. Details are as under:

| State       | Name of recognized CoE                                                 | Date of recognition   |
|-------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
| Maharashtra | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay                           | 01.08.2025            |
| Telangana   | IIT, Hyderabad                                                         | 01.08.2025            |
| Telangana   | Non Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre (NFTDC), Hyderabad | 01.08.2025            |
| Telangana   | Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET), Hyderabad      | 24.10.2025            |

| Uttarakhand   | IIT, Roorkee                                                                                             | 01.08.2025   |
|---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------|
| Jharkhand     | IIT - Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad                                                              | 01.08.2025   |
|               | Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) - National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML), Jamshedpur | 01.08.2025   |
| Karnataka     | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru                                                             | 24.10.2025   |
| Odisha        | CSIR - Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar                                  | 01.08.2025   |

Each CoE operates as a consortium, on a Hub & Spoke model, to leverage the core competence of constituent industry and academic spokes. The nine recognized CoEs have together brought in over 80 industry and academic/ R&D spokes.

In line with 'Whole of Government' approach, the recognized CoEs under NCMM are eligible to seek financial support for specific R&D projects from any R&D scheme of the  Government, including Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)  for critical mineral R&D.

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