DIA-CoE

DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

NACCRIM - 2026

National Conference on Critical Metals: Advancements in Extraction & Recycling Technologies

Dates

25 – 26 September 2026

Venue

Kalidas Auditorium, IIT Kharagpur

Organized By

DRDO Industry Academia - Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE), IIT Kharagpur

View Program Schedule

Downloads

Brochure
Program Schedule
Conference Book
Invitation Card

About the Conference

The global shift toward clean energy, digitalization, and advanced manufacturing is rapidly increasing the demand for critical metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements, essential for EVs, renewable energy, and high-tech industries. These metals have very high economic importance and are often concentrated in few geographical locations, making their supply vulnerable to geopolitical issues, trade policies, and mining limitations.

India, through its National Critical Minerals Mission, is strengthening resource security via exploration, global partnerships, and sustainable supply chains. In this context, it is important to develop indigenous technologies for extraction and recycling of critical metals to reduce external dependence.

NACCRIM-2026 is being organized under the research vertical "Advanced Extractive Metallurgy and Metal Recycling Technologies (AEMMRT)" of DIA-CoE IIT Kharagpur. This vertical focuses on the development of indigenous technologies for extraction and recycling of critical metals. NACCRIM-2026 will serve as a collaborative platform to discuss advancements and innovations in the field of extraction and recycling of critical metals, with a strong focus on emerging technologies aligned with national priorities and global sustainability goals.

Themes

  • Exploration, beneficiation, and characterization of critical minerals.
  • Extraction of critical metals from primary & secondary sources.
  • Recycling and urban mining for critical metals recovery.
  • Advanced separation, purification, and value addition technologies for critical metals.
  • AI, automation, environmental impact, lifecycle analysis, and policy frameworks.

Program Schedule

Time Programme
08:30 - 09:30 AM Registration
Inaugural Session
09:00 - 09:10 AM Lighting of Lamps by Dignitaries
Addresses
09:10 - 09:20 AM Convener: Dr. Dipak K. Das, Outstanding Scientist (Retd.) DMRL, Hyderabad & Director, DIA-CoE IIT Kharagpur
09:20 - 09:30 AM Distinguished Guest: Dr. K. Gopinathn, Outstanding Scientist & Director, DMRL, DRDO
09:30 - 09:40 AM Distinguished Guest: Dr. N. Ranjana, Outstanding Scientist and Director, DFTM, DRDO
09:40 - 09:50 AM Distinguished Guest: Prof. Surjya Kanta Pal, Dean, Research and Development (R&D), IIT Kharagpur
09:50 - 10:05 AM Guest of Honour: Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Director, IIT Kharagpur
10:05 - 10:20 AM Chief Guest: Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary (Retd.), Department of Defence (R&D) & Chairman (Retd.), DRDO
10:20 - 10:45 AM Tea Break
Technical Session 1
Session Chair: Dr. G. Balachandran, Chairman, AMMRT Vertical of DIA-CoE IIT Kharagpur
10:45 - 11:20 AM Keynote Lecture: Mr. B K Soni, Chairman & MD, ECO Recycling Limited
Title: Urban Mining: India's Fastest Route to Critical Mineral Security
11:20 - 11:45 AM Invited Lecture: Dr. Abhishek Mukherjee, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai
Title: Advanced Extraction Technologies for Critical Metals: Challenges and Opportunities
11:45 AM - 12:10 PM Invited Lecture: Dr. S. S. Kalyan Kamal, Scientist-G, DMRL
Title: Recycling of Critical Metals as a Strategic Way Forward for Sustainable Growth: A Case Study of Tungsten
12:10 - 12:35 PM Invited Lecture: Dr. Raj Kumar Dishwar, Assistant Professor, IIT Dhanbad
Title: Recovery of High-Grade Cobalt Oxide from Zinc Plant Residue (ZPR) Generated at Zinc Processing Plants
12:35 - 01:00 PM Invited Lecture: Dr. Shivendra Sinha, Scientist-E, CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur
Title: Interventions by CSIR-NML Towards Critical Metal Recycling Technologies: Bench Scale to Pilot Scale
01:00 - 01:15 PM Contributed Talk: Dr. Mouli Das Dawn, Postdoctoral Fellow, IIT Kharagpur
Title: Beyond Frameworks: Engineering Metal–Organic Materials for Emerging Energy Technologies
01:15 - 02:15 PM Lunch Break
Technical Session 2
Session Chair: Dr. Kalyan Kamal, Scientist G, DMRL, Hyderabad
02:15 - 02:50 PM Keynote Lecture: Dr. G. Balachandran, Scientist (Retd.), DMRL, Hyderabad
Title: Exploiting Critical Mineral Resources for Sustainable Technologies
02:50 - 03:15 PM Invited Lecture: Dr. Dhruva Kumar Singh, Visiting Professor, IIT Dhanbad
Title: From Monazite to Magnets: India's Quest for Rare Earth Independence
03:15 - 03:40 PM Invited Lecture: Dr. Jayasree Biswas, Assistant Professor, IIT Bombay
Title: Critical Metals Extraction from Urban Ores Through Various Metallurgical Routes
03:40 - 04:05 PM Invited Lecture: Dr. Pankaj Kumar Jain, Assistant Professor, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
Title: Mineral Processing: Unlocking Critical Minerals from Ore to Waste
04:05 - 04:30 PM Invited Lecture: Dr. Amit Barnwal, Assistant Professor, IIT Hyderabad
Title: Recovery of High-Purity Nickel from Spent NMC Lithium-Ion Battery Leach Solutions via Solvent Extraction with Versatic Acid 10 and Mixer–Settler Operations
04:30 - 04:45 PM Tea Break
04:45 - 05:45 PM Panel Discussion: Bridging the Supply Gap in India's Critical Minerals
Anchor: Dr. D.K. Das
Experts: Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Dr. N. Ranjana, Mr. B.K. Soni, Dr. K. Gopinath & Dr. G. Balachandran
Time Programme
Technical Session 3
Session Chair: Dr. G. Balachandran, Chairman, AMMRT Vertical of DIA-CoE IIT Kharagpur
09:30 - 09:55 AM Invited Lecture: Dr. N. Venkata Rama Rao, Scientist-G, DMRL
Title: The Neodymium Loop: Advances and Challenges in Short-Loop Magnet Recycling
09:55 - 10:20 AM Invited Lecture: Dr. Chenna Rao, Assistant Professor, IIT Kharagpur
Title: Sustainable Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from NdFeB Magnets
10:20 - 10:45 AM Invited Lecture: Dr. Sudipta Patra, Assistant Professor, IIT BHU Varanasi
Title: A Novel Strategy for Valorization of Chromite Tailings by Reduction Roasting with H2 and NH3 and Magnetic Separation
10:45 - 11:00 AM Tea Break
11:00 - 11:25 AM Invited Lecture: Dr. Aarti Kumari, Assistant Professor, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
Title: Advanced Separation Technologies for Sustainable Recovery of Critical Metals
11:25 - 11:50 AM Invited Lecture: Dr. Soobhankar Pati, Associate Professor, IIT Bhubaneswar
Title: Electrometallurgy for Sustainable Metal Extraction: Critical Materials and Beyond
11:50 AM - 12:15 PM Invited Lecture: Dr. Neha Shukla, Assistant Professor, IIT Mandi
Title: Sustainable Solutions for Next-Generation Electronics: The Role of E-Waste Recycling
12:15 - 12:40 PM Invited Lecture: Dr. Krishna Kumar, Scientist-E, CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur
Title: Indigenous Extraction and Recycling of Magnesium at CSIR NML
12:40 - 01:00 PM Closure & Vote of Thanks
01:00 PM Onwards Lunch

Abstract Submission

Abstracts are invited from academicians, researchers, and students wishing to attend the conference and share their research contributions.

  • Language: English
  • Length: Maximum of 300 words
  • The abstract should contain the names and affiliations of all the authors, and clearly provide the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions of the research work.
  • There will be no registration charges for participation in the conference.
  • Paid accommodation for contributed speakers (including students) may be arranged based on availability.
  • Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 July 2026
Conference Registration Abstract Submission