Ministry Of Mines Hosts S&T–PRISM 5.0 Workshop To Boost Critical Minerals Innovation

New Delhi, Jun 1 (KNN) The Ministry of Mines, in collaboration with the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), organised an Interactive Workshop-cum-Technical Evaluation Session under the S&T–PRISM 5.0 (Promotion of Research and Innovation in Startups and MSMEs) programme in Nagpur on May 29–30. 

The initiative focused on supporting innovation and technology development across the critical minerals value chain.

The workshop brought together startups, MSMEs, industry representatives and technical experts working in areas such as critical mineral exploration, extraction, processing, recycling and value-addition technologies. 

The S&T–PRISM scheme is one of the components of the Ministry of Mines' Science and Technology Programme aimed at promoting innovation-driven solutions in the mining sector.

According to Mines ministry, this was the first time that an interactive workshop was integrated with the evaluation process under the S&T–PRISM scheme. The programme was intended to facilitate technology exchange, expert interaction, mentoring and feedback for participants working on critical mineral technologies. 

As part of the programme, innovation challenges and competition-based evaluation sessions were conducted to identify promising technologies in the critical minerals sector. 

A total of 31 proposals were assessed across seven thematic clusters covering areas such as mineral recovery from waste streams, exploration technologies, extraction and separation processes, refining and purification, and the development of value-added metals, alloys and process equipment.

The ministry said the workshop provided a platform for stakeholder engagement, technical evaluation and knowledge sharing, while promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the critical minerals sector.

(KNN Bureau)