NITI Aayog hosts dialogue on tech-led mining and critical mineral security.
TEXMiN highlights AI, automation, digital tools to modernise India’s mining sector.
Focus on reducing import reliance and building domestic mineral value chains.
TEXMiN IIT (ISM) Dhanbad participated in a high-level policy dialogue hosted by NITI Aayog to discuss the future of India’s mining and critical minerals sector.
The session focused on advancing the transition toward Mining 4.0, strengthening mineral security, and establishing a technology-driven ecosystem.
1 April 2026
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The discussion highlighted the global shift from labor-intensive and mechanized operations toward intelligent, autonomous, and data-driven systems. TEXMiN presented its perspective on integrating advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital twins, automation, and geospatial intelligence, to modernise the sector. Prof Dheeraj Kumar, Project Director at TEXMiN, noted that these initiatives are central to addressing structural challenges in exploration and data integration while ensuring India’s long-term competitiveness and self-reliance.
A significant portion of the dialogue addressed the strategic necessity of critical minerals for clean energy, electric mobility and advanced manufacturing. As global supply chains remain concentrated, officials emphasised the need for India to develop domestic capabilities and reduce reliance on imports through technology-led interventions. TEXMiN underscored the importance of moving beyond extraction to build integrated capabilities in refining, processing, advanced materials and circularity.
The challenges within the Indian mining landscape were also reviewed, specifically the need to support both large enterprises and MSMEs with varying technological maturity. TEXMiN aims to provide scalable and modular solutions to improve safety and productivity across these diverse stakeholders. These solutions leverage a range of technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, robotics and satellite imagery.
Established by the Department of Science and Technology, TEXMiN functions as a Technology Translation Research Park (TTRP). Its participation in this dialogue reflects its role as a national platform for innovation, aligned with the vision of Safe, Smart and Sustainable (3S) mining
The dialogue was attended by senior leadership, including NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Shri Suman K Bery and Member Vijay Kumar Saraswat, alongside select deep-tech startups such as DeepMatrix and Bidaal.
Global Push for Smart Mining
Energy transitions are centered on critical mineral security and digitalisation, say global agencies such as the International Energy Agency and World Bank.
Countries are fast-tracking technology-led mining to ensure resilient, sustainable supply chains as demand for lithium, cobalt and rare earths increases.
