The CSIR-IMMT (Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology) in Bhubaneswar is a national R&D lab in minerals and materials technology. According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, marine minerals from coastal and ocean sources would be critical to India’s future economy. CSIR-IMMT is establishing a niche in the processing of sophisticated materials for increased value addition and working on the resource usage efficiency of vital raw materials. The Common Research and Technology Development Hub (CRTDH) assists MSMEs and start-ups with R&D and knowledge-based support.
Key Highlight:
- Marine minerals from coastal and ocean sources would be critical to India’s future economy.
- CSIR-IMMT is establishing a niche in the processing of sophisticated materials for increased value addition.
- The Common Research and Technology Development Hub (CRTDH) assists MSMEs and start-ups with R&D and knowledge-based support.
- Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, stated that metals such as nickel and cobalt play a vital role in supporting renewable energy technologies that are required to combat climate change concerns.
- He stated that attempts are being made to develop acceptable technology for the effective mining of some deep-sea mineral resources and the exploitation of gas hydrate resources.
Marine minerals from coastal and ocean sources would be critical to India’s future economy.
The Minister dedicates new construction facilities at the CSIR-IMMT (Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology) in Bhubaneswar.
According to the organization, IMMT is a national R&D lab in minerals and materials technology that addresses industry concerns for long-term development.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, stated today that marine minerals from coastal and ocean sources will be critical to India’s future economy. Furthermore, he stated that metals such as nickel and cobalt play a vital role in supporting renewable energy technologies that are required to combat climate change concerns.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, who inaugurated the new building facilities at CSIR-IMMT (Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology) in Bhubaneswar, told the scientists and students that IMMT is an R&D Lab of national importance in minerals and materials technology under the aegis of CSIR to address industry problems for sustainable development.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, nations in marine scientific research are currently actively involved in discovering the bountiful ocean bed to meet future energy and metal demands. He stated that the Modi government’s “Deep Ocean Mission” heralds a new vista for various resources to improve the “Blue Economy.”
Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that initiatives are being done to improve coordination and collaboration between IIMT and the NIOT (National Institute of Ocean Technology) in Chennai to speed progress in creating India’s blue economy and utilizing its ocean resources. He stated that attempts are being made to develop acceptable technology for the effective mining of some deep-sea mineral resources and the exploitation of gas hydrate resources.
It may be recalled that the Minister launched India’s First Manned Ocean Mission Samudrayan in Chennai in October this year to conduct deep ocean exploration of non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides, and cobalt crusts at depths ranging from 1000 to 5500 meters.
According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, the main thrust of R&D at CSIR-IMMT over the last seven years has been to empower Indian industries to meet the challenges of globalization by providing advanced and zero waste process know-how and consultancy services for commercial exploitation of natural resources via the public-private-partnership (PPP) approach. He stated that such participation and technological intervention has made CSIR-IMMT the first choice for many minerals and extractive metallurgy-based enterprises. It is also carving out a place in sophisticated material processing for more value addition and working on resource usage efficiency of crucial raw materials, he noted.
The Common Research and Technology Development Hub (CRTDH) was established at CSIR-IMMT through a collaborative effort between CSIR-IMMT and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, to provide technological solutions, mentor entrepreneurs/startups, and facilitate startup incubation. Its principal goal is to develop and promote MSMEs’ innovations and provide R&D or knowledge-based support in the areas of novel materials and chemical processes. The goal is threefold:
R&D and knowledge-based assistance to MSMEs and startups
Mentor, nurture, partner, or assist MSMEs in developing ideas.
Provide enabling services such as intellectual property support, laboratory facilities, testing and analysis support for quality assurance, auditing of existing manufacturing processes, and so on.
Many collaborative projects are currently being undertaken under the CRTDH program with Metallurgical/Agro/Boiler/Electronic/Minerals- MSMEs/Start-ups, focusing on the development of new materials, coatings, agro-waste to wealth (K-enriched fertilizer), electronic waste to wealth (recovery of precious metals), and so on. Since its foundation, it has supplied more than four technological solutions to the agro and metallurgical/minerals industries, as well as ten know-hows linked to COVID prevention, such as sanitizers, liquid soap, disinfection kits, and so on, to around 14 MSMEs.
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