A joint center for critical minerals was established.
By establishing a new research center, Australia and India want to promote sustainable mining and improve the extraction of critical raw materials. Australian Monash University, the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, and the International Centre for Excellence in Mining Safety and Automation based in Ahmedabad have signed letters of intent to this effect.
The Australia-India Critical Minerals Research Hub aims to promote collaboration between researchers and industry leaders from both countries. The partnership aims to make mining more efficient and reduce its impact on the climate to benefit the entire world, said Professor Susan Elliott, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of Monash University. India’s mining and minerals development sector could benefit from Monash University’s research and innovation. The subcontinent published its first list of 30 critical minerals this year, considered crucial for economic development and national security, and wants to diversify its supply. India has mineral resources, such as lithium and rare earths, and is planning to expand production, but it is also interested in foreign deposits, for example, in Greenland. Australia, rich in mineral resources, has a long mining tradition and wants to establish itself as a raw material alternative to the quasi-monopolist China. India and Australia have already announced an intensifying of their trade partnership this year, including critical minerals. In addition, the exchange of mining technologies and knowledge between the countries could also become more important.
Photo: iStock/Maksim Safaniuk
