In a move aimed at strengthening India’s resource security and advancing sustainable manufacturing practices, defence public sector undertaking Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI) has entered into a tripartite agreement with the Heavy Water Board (HWB) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to develop technologies for recovering nickel and cobalt from manufacturing waste.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on 27 October, brings together MIDHANI’s industrial expertise with the technical and scientific capabilities of HWB and BARC, both of which function under the Department of Atomic Energy.

The collaboration is focused on creating efficient and commercially viable methods for extracting critical metals from manufacturing residues that would otherwise remain underutilised.

Nickel and cobalt play an increasingly important role across a range of strategic and industrial sectors, including battery manufacturing, electric vehicles, stainless steel production and high-performance superalloys. As global demand for these materials continues to rise, recovering them from secondary resources has emerged as an important avenue for improving supply security while reducing reliance on newly mined minerals.

The initiative is expected to support India’s efforts to build resilient domestic supply chains for critical raw materials, particularly those required for advanced manufacturing and clean-energy applications. 

By recovering valuable metals from industrial waste streams, the project also seeks to improve resource efficiency, promote recycling and reduce the environmental footprint associated with raw material extraction.

MIDHANI Chairman and Managing Director SVS Narayana Murty described the agreement as an important step in the company’s efforts to recover critical metals from secondary resources. He said, "The three organisations will work towards developing solutions that are sustainable, technically viable and commercially competitive."

The MoU was formally signed by SVS Narayana Murty, VVSA Prasad, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Heavy Water Board, and Alok Awasthi, Associate Director of the Materials Group at BARC. The signing ceremony was also attended by MIDHANI Director (Finance) K Madhubala and HWB Executive Director Sandeep Wadhwa.

Beyond recovering valuable metals, the collaboration could open new opportunities in metal recycling and resource recovery technologies. Such initiatives are increasingly gaining importance worldwide as nations seek to secure supplies of strategic minerals while simultaneously advancing circular-economy objectives.

The project aligns with broader efforts to maximise the value of industrial by-products and reduce waste generation across key manufacturing sectors.

The participating organisations expect the partnership to contribute to the long-term availability of critical raw materials for India’s industrial ecosystem and clean-energy ambitions, while demonstrating how scientific innovation can convert manufacturing residues into economically useful resources.

Agencies