Oil India Limited (OIL) and the CSIR - Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT) have entered into a memorandum of understanding to pursue joint research and development in critical minerals. The agreement was signed on 30 March 2026 and follows identification of CSIR-IMMT as the Centre of Excellence for Critical Minerals under the National Critical Mineral Mission. OIL is a Maharatna public sector undertaking and the collaboration reflects government priorities in securing strategic mineral resources.

The memorandum was executed by the director responsible for exploration and development at OIL and by the director of CSIR-IMMT in a ceremony attended by the chairperson and managing director of OIL. Functional directors, senior officials of OIL and senior scientists from CSIR-IMMT were present to witness the exchange and to discuss potential areas of cooperation. The parties outlined mechanisms for joint project governance, shared research facilities and personnel exchange.

The research and development programme will focus on technology development, mineral characterisation, processing methods and sustainable extraction practices tailored to critical minerals. Emphasis will be placed on improving resource assessment, formulation of value chain strategies and development of scalable pilot processes that may support domestic supply chains. Collaboration is expected to combine OIL field experience with CSIR-IMMT laboratory capabilities to accelerate applied outcomes.

The memorandum of understanding will establish frameworks for project prioritisation, intellectual property management and funding models to be pursued through specific proposals within the National Critical Mineral Mission. The partnership aims to support national strategic objectives by enabling evidence based decision making, fostering innovation and building technical capacity. The public relations department at OIL's office in Noida issued the release and notified regulators in line with listing regulations. The arrangement is expected to generate research outputs that can inform policy and industry practice over the coming years.