Karnataka has signed an MoU with Bengaluru-based MiniMines Cleantech Solutions to establish a Rs 3.50-billion Giga Critical Minerals Refining Complex in the city. The agreement, inked with the Department of Electronics, IT & Biotechnology, aims to strengthen India’s supply chain for high-purity materials crucial to electric mobility, clean energy and strategic sectors.

The proposed complex is projected to supply refined materials worth Rs 5–6 billion annually, reducing dependence on imports for industries such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, aerospace, defence and electronics. In its statement, the company said the project’s first phase will feature a refining capacity of 15,000 MTPA, generating an annual throughput of 13,400 tonne. It added that each Rs 10 million of MiniMines’ output is expected to create nearly Rs 30 million of downstream industrial value across associated supply chains.

The facility will deploy MiniMines’ patented Hybrid-Hydrometallurgy (HHM) process for lithium-ion battery recycling and will integrate the company’s developing HydroMag REE Loop technology for recovering rare-earth magnets. It will also house an R&D and training centre focused on workforce development, technology transfer and innovation in circular mineral processing.

Anupam Kumar, Co-founder and CEO, MiniMines, said the agreement marks a key step in strengthening India’s capability in critical mineral processing. “With this refining complex, we aim to build a domestic ecosystem capable of supplying high-purity materials needed for batteries, magnets and other clean energy technologies,” he said. “Our focus is to recover value from waste streams and reduce the country’s dependence on imported raw materials. We will be extracting in India and supplying to the world.”

The project is expected to generate more than 1,500 direct and indirect jobs and contribute around Rs 13 billion in annual turnover and nearly Rs 2 billion in GST revenue. Karnataka Minister for IT/BT and Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Priyank Kharge said MiniMines’ work in critical minerals and rare-earth recycling is a pivotal move toward self-reliance and a more sustainable future.

News source: The Hans India