India and South Africa Enter Into Critical Minerals Research Partnership

IIT Dhanbad’s TEXMiN Foundation and the University of Pretoria Join Forces to Advance Sustainable Extraction, Rare Earth Element Recycling, and Mining Value Chain Innovations

TEXMiN Foundation , IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, recently announced that it has signed a pact with the University of Pretoria, South Africa, to conduct research together. This critical minerals research partnership covers areas such as critical minerals, rare earth element processing, recycling, extraction technologies, and advanced mining innovation. Under the partnership, both groups are also set to work on technology development, run academic exchange programs, and to look for joint projects in areas like lithium, graphite, cobalt, nickel, manganese , aluminium, copper, rare earth elements (REEs), battery materials, and other critical minerals. The main idea is that they want to boost the mining value chain with the tech they develop together, while building new critical-mineral ecosystems through worldwide cooperation.

In a note shared by the Dhanbad-based TEXMiN Foundation, it said, “TEXMiN Foundation, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of research collaboration. The strategic collaboration brings together TEXMiN's research and technology innovation know-how with the University of Pretoria’s academic and research progress in mining, metallurgy, and engineering sciences.” The two institutions, according to the statement, will center their efforts on critical minerals, advanced geopolitical methods, digital subsurface analytics, mineral processing, and recycling systems, aiming to push innovations in the mining space.

Also, this partnership is meant to include jointly developing assets, giving stakeholders access to facilities and infrastructure, running collaborative programs tied to critical minerals, and adjusting to shifting global mineral and energy transition priorities by pushing translational innovation initiatives. Through this, India and South Africa could also create future Centre of Excellence ( CoE ) type institutions across both countries, focused on advanced R&D, skilling, and technology translation. Professor Sukumar Mishra, Director, IIT(ISM) Dhanbad and Chairman , Hub Governing Board, TEXMiN Foundation, said collaboration is particularly important for driving international cooperation work, especially to secure critical minerals and support sustainable mining technologies.

Further, Mishra mentioned that this alliance blends complementary expertise from India and South Africa, giving a kind of boost to research outputs, technology-driven solutions, and knowledge-sharing platforms that can back industrial change and responsible deployment of resources. Agreeing on similar lines, Professor Wynand Steyn , University of Pretoria Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, pointed out that the collaboration could strengthen academic and research connections between the two countries. CIO Bulletin also described the partnership as a useful step toward future-focused options, designed to support responsible resource development, knowledge exchange, and industry-relevant research.