Bengaluru: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has been recognised as one of the Centres of Excellence (CoE) under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM), the Union Ministry of Mines announced on Friday.

Launched with a budget of ₹16,300 crore, the mission aims to boost India's self-reliance in critical minerals vital for clean energy, defence, and advanced technology sectors, IISc said in a statement.

The newly established CoE at IISc will create an Integrated Critical Minerals Research and Development Facility, covering the entire value chain—from exploration and extraction to processing and recycling. It will also design modular pilot-scale plants using indigenous processes and technologies to reduce import dependence and promote sustainable growth.

Through IISc's Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID), the centre will collaborate with industry partners to translate research into scalable industrial solutions.

“IISc will pioneer a greener lithium-ion battery recycling process, offering a sustainable alternative to the conventional black-mass route currently exported due to inefficient recovery systems,” the institute said.

To support India's Green Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Mission, IISc will also recycle platinum group elements (PGEs) from spent auto catalysts, targeting up to 90 per cent recovery efficiency using advanced separation and purification technologies.

Omprakash Subbarao, CEO of FSID CORE at IISc, said the recognition marks a “decisive step toward building India's indigenous capabilities in the critical mineral value chain—from exploration to processing and recycling.”

IISc also plans to reduce dependence on imported tungsten carbide by developing a direct carbide recycling route and to recover rare-earth oxides from mineral-processing tailings, creating circular value chains in critical materials.