Rs 2 crore in fellowships, grants open up as NIT Rourkela, IIT Dhanbad launch deep-tech mining centre

In a step towards modernising India’s mining industry, the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad have launched a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence (CoE) aimed at ushering in automation, cyber-physical systems, and digital technologies into mining operations.

According to a press release, the FTBI–TEXMiN Mining Cyber-Physical Systems Centre, jointly inaugurated on Friday at the NIT Rourkela campus, is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST).

The initiative is a collaboration between NIT-R’s Foundation for Technology and Business Incubation (FTBI) and TEXMiN, a not-for-profit tech company under the Department of Science and Technology housed at IIT Dhanbad.

Rs 200 Lakh Boost for Research & Fellowships

Over the next four years, the unit will disburse Rs 2 crore in project grants and research fellowships to encourage innovation in mining and allied sectors. Selected researchers and innovators will be given access to cutting-edge labs, mentoring support, and incubation facilities through FTBI.

The collaboration aims to bring together academia, startups, and industry to build a more efficient and future-ready mining ecosystem.

The release also stated that elected researchers and innovators will be given access to cutting-edge labs, mentoring support, and incubation facilities through FTBI to support deep-tech solutions that address some of the most pressing challenges in mining, from safety risks and environmental damage to inefficiencies caused by outdated manual systems and fragmented data operations.

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Next-gen Tools to Tackle Legacy Issues in Mining

Traditional mining practices in India have long struggled with poor safety standards, slow productivity, and a lack of real-time monitoring. The new CoE intends to tackle these issues using cyber-physical systems (CPS).

The team will work on developing smart wearables and AI-powered risk alert systems to enhance miner safety. It will use digital twins and sensor-driven platforms to simulate mine conditions, identify hazards, and improve decision-making.

The FTBI-TEXMiN Cyber-Physical Systems Centre also plans to improve exploration through drones, LiDAR, and geo-intelligence tools that offer faster and more precise mapping of mineral deposits, according to reports.