IREL (India) Ltd, an undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy, has invited entrepreneurs, startups and industrial companies to commercialise seven indigenous technologies developed for the rare-earth and titanium sectors. The initiative comes as India intensifies efforts to strengthen its domestic critical minerals value chain and reduce dependence on imported technologies and high-value materials. Developed and demonstrated at IREL’s Rare Earth & Titanium Theme Park (RETTP) in Bhopal, the technologies cover several strategically important materials used across energy, electronics, defence and advanced manufacturing. The RETTP was inaugurated on May 10, providing a platform to demonstrate technologies developed for the processing and production of rare-earth and titanium-based materials.
Seven Technologies Open for Commercialisation
IREL’s technology package covers a range of products and processes with applications across multiple industries. The technologies include the production of lanthanum and cerium, which are widely used in batteries, catalysts and glass polishing applications. The package also features technology for producing neodymium, a critical material used in permanent magnets. In addition, IREL is offering technology for recovering neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) from end-of-life NdFeB magnets. This process could support the recycling of valuable rare-earth materials and contribute to a more circular supply chain.
Supporting Advanced Materials and Titanium Production
The technology portfolio also includes solutions for manufacturing lamp and LED phosphors, which are used in lighting and display applications. Another key offering is technology for producing titanium sponge, an important intermediate used in the manufacture of titanium metal. Titanium is particularly important for high-performance applications, including the aerospace sector, because of its strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. By opening these technologies to commercialisation, IREL aims to encourage greater participation from private industry and accelerate the transition from technology development to large-scale production.
Strengthening India’s Critical Minerals Value Chain
India is increasingly looking beyond the mining and processing of critical minerals to develop higher-value materials and components domestically. This shift is important because rare-earth and titanium-based materials support several strategic industries, including electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, defence and advanced manufacturing. Although India has significant rare-earth resources, gaps in midstream processing and downstream manufacturing continue to constrain the development of the domestic value chain. According to government estimates, India has around 7.23 million tonnes of in-situ rare-earth oxide equivalent resources in monazite-bearing beach-sand deposits. However, converting these resources into commercially valuable materials and components requires stronger processing capabilities and industrial capacity.
Reducing Dependence on Imported Rare-Earth Products
Against this backdrop, commercialising indigenous technologies could help India strengthen its position across the rare-earth value chain. For example, domestic production of materials such as neodymium, NdPr and titanium sponge could support industries that currently depend on global supply chains for critical inputs. At the same time, recycling technologies for end-of-life NdFeB magnets could help recover valuable rare-earth elements and improve resource efficiency. Therefore, scaling up the technologies developed by IREL could help bridge India’s midstream and downstream capability gaps while reducing dependence on imported high-value rare-earth products.
Creating Opportunities for Industry and Startups
By inviting entrepreneurs, startups and established industries to commercialise these technologies, IREL is creating an opportunity for the private sector to participate in India’s growing critical minerals ecosystem. Successful commercialisation could accelerate technology deployment, expand domestic manufacturing capacity and strengthen the supply of strategic materials needed for India’s clean energy and industrial transition. As reported by moneycontrol.com, IREL’s initiative represents an important step towards converting India’s rare-earth resource base and indigenous technology capabilities into commercially scalable products, thereby supporting a more resilient and self-reliant critical minerals value chain.
