India has taken a significant step forward in its critical mineral sustainability strategy with a fresh infusion of funding into recycling technologies. MiniMines Cleantech Solutions, a domestic innovator in the clean-tech space, has secured combined grants amounting to ₹4.3 crore from Oil India Ltd., ACT Grants, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

This financial support will drive the company’s efforts to refine, recycle, and scale domestic production of high-purity critical minerals from used lithium-ion batteries and industrial waste, strengthening both India's supply chain resilience and its climate goals.

The grant will specifically support process engineering, pilot-to-commercial scale-up, plant commissioning, and validation of recycled industrial-grade outputs. By moving into continuous processing and commissioning of a full-scale recycling facility, MiniMines intends to shorten lead times for sourcing critical raw materials, thus reducing dependency on imports and mitigating the vulnerabilities of global supply disruptions.

This transition represents a transformational leap from laboratory proof-of-concept to continuous industrial operations, laying down a pathway for long-term commercial viability in India’s circular economy.

At the technological core, MiniMines has developed processes to recover valuable metals such as lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese at industrial purity levels. Unlike conventional mining operations that consume vast natural resources and generate extensive emissions, the company’s proprietary methods promise a fraction of the carbon footprint while still delivering feedstock suitable for advanced manufacturing.

The recovered materials span multiple strategic applications—nickel for energy systems and green hydrogen, copper for next-generation electronics and transmission, lithium and cobalt for advanced battery chemistries, and sulphates for use in fertilisers and catalysts. These end-products provide direct inputs into India’s renewable energy, electric mobility, telecommunications, and Agro-industrial sectors.

The initiative also ties directly into the Government of India’s National Critical Minerals Mission, which is designed to safeguard domestic access to rare and strategic minerals, reduce import dependence, and build a sustainable supply chain for upcoming industries like EVs, solar power, and large-scale grid storage.

By embedding circularity into the critical mineral ecosystem, MiniMines’ work not only aligns with policy objectives but also strengthens India’s position as a responsible player in the global sustainability push.

Equally noteworthy is the collaborative framework underlying this project. Oil India Ltd.—traditionally a hydrocarbons exploration and production major—has demonstrated its pivot to cleaner technologies through this grant, signaling an intent to serve as a key enabler in India’s evolving clean-energy and critical-minerals space.

Partner contributions by UNIDO bring in global best practices, lifecycle emission-reduction benchmarks, and support structures for industrial scalability, while ACT Grants reinforce the role of philanthropy-driven sustainability financing for early-stage innovators.

By delivering battery-grade recycled minerals locally, the initiative will ultimately contribute to lower lifecycle emissions, reduced reliance on imports from geopolitical hotspots, and enhanced self-sufficiency in clean technology supply chains

 With this strategic support, MiniMines is poised to emerge as an anchor company in India’s mission to secure critical inputs for green growth and future industries, creating a scalable model that blends circular economy principles with industrial competitiveness.

The ₹4.3 crore funding milestone represents more than capital infusion—it embodies a shift in India’s approach to resource security, one where waste streams are converted into strategic assets, and where industrial sustainability becomes a competitive advantage.

By pioneering circular mineral recovery, MiniMines stands positioned to not only serve India’s domestic needs but also to emerge as a trusted partner in the evolving global critical-minerals economy.

Agencies