Key points
- The India–Australia critical minerals and green steel research partnerships invested $22.6 million to address shared challenges in critical minerals supply chains, resource value-addition, steel decarbonisation and workforce development.
- The partnerships brought together researchers, industry, government agencies and universities from both countries, building enduring networks that will support future bilateral collaboration
- 10 research projects and 28 student projects provided students with opportunities for technical workshops, researcher exchanges and international experiences.
As global demand grows for the minerals, materials and technologies needed for the clean energy transition, Australia and India recognised a shared opportunity to work together.
The Australian Government-funded India–Australia Critical Minerals Research Partnership and India–Australia Green Steel Research Partnership were launched in 2023, investing a combined $22.6 million to strengthen critical minerals supply chains and accelerate lower-emissions steelmaking.
Through the three and a half year partnerships, Australian and Indian researchers have developed new approaches to the discovery, extraction and manufacturing of critical minerals and materials, investigated the shared issue of ore quality on lowering carbon emissions for steelmaking and helped train future researchers and workforce for these two industry sectors.
Where Australia’s strengths meet India’s ambitions
Australia’s extensive mineral resources, established mineral processing expertise, and low-emissions technology capabilities are highly complementary to India’s critical mineral requirements, manufacturing ambitions and industrial scale. Along with the mutual objective of decarbonisation, Australia and India are natural partners in tackling shared economic, industrial and sustainability challenges.
For Dr Joanne Loh, CSIRO’s manager of the India–Australia Critical Minerals Research Partnership, the value of the work extended beyond the projects themselves.
“These partnerships have shown what is possible when Australia and India bring together research and technical capabilities, shared priorities and a commitment to practical outcomes,” Dr Loh said.
“While the formal programs have concluded, the relationships, knowledge and momentum they have created will continue to support future collaboration in critical minerals and green steel.”
A portfolio approach to a shared green steel challenge
Steel is one of the world’s most important materials for modern infrastructure, manufacturing and engineering but production is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. For Australia and India, large deposits of hematite and goethite ores (low-grade iron ores) are common to both countries. But these ores are not always a straightforward fit for many emerging net zero steelmaking processes.
Rather than focus on emerging technologies, the India–Australia Green Steel Research Partnership established a project portfolio across the existing iron and steel value chain to overcome technical barriers to existing low carbon steel-making routes.
CSIRO manager of the India–Australia Green Steel Research Partnership Keith Vining said decarbonising steel would require sustained collaboration across research and industry.
“Decarbonising steel is an extremely complex and important challenge for Australia and India,” said Mr Vining.
“This program has been a strong first step on what will be a long journey, laying the foundations for our researchers and industries to keep working together to resolve an issue of huge importance to both countries.”
Through six projects, focused on reducing carbon intensity and supporting net zero ambitions, researchers explored ways to upgrade lower-grade ores, prepare goethitic ores for direct reduction, replace coal with renewable biomass, develop hydrogen-based ironmaking, and capture and recycle carbon from existing steelmaking processes.
A standout result was the world-first, full-scale demonstration of rice husk biomass gasification for steelmaking at Jindal Steel in Odisha, India. The trial used agricultural waste to partially replace coal in an operating commercial gasifier, showcasing Indian-specific options for reducing emissions in one of the world’s fastest-growing steel markets.
Strengthening critical minerals supply chains
The India–Australia Critical Minerals Research Partnership focused on how both countries can find, process and add value to critical mineral resources more effectively.
The four research projects spanned the minerals-to-products value chain, from exploration and resource identification to titanium–vanadium processing, rare earth beneficiation and metallisation and battery cathode materials manufacturing.
One of the highlights was the titanium–vanadium project, which progressed CSIRO’s extraction process for these critical minerals from lab bench to mini-pilot scale. These minerals are critical for applications ranging from aerospace and advanced alloys to energy storage technologies. Collaborative projects with CSIR Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar) and National Metallurgical Labs (CSIR-NML, Jamshedpur) supported the partnership project and together, successfully demonstrated the process for both Australian and Indian ores.
Another project, Targeting and Characterising Critical Minerals in India, brought together Australian and Indian geoscience expertise to improve the identification and assessment of critical mineral deposits and in turn, increase the likelihood of discovery which supported future resource development.
The other two projects focused on better ways to recover rare earth elements from minerals and turn them into useful metal forms, as well as developing innovative techniques for making cathode materials used in lithium- and sodium-ion batteries.
For Dr Loh, these projects show why critical minerals collaboration needs to connect science, researchers and industry across the full supply chain.
“That integrated approach is essential if we want to build more resilient, responsible and diversified supply chains that benefit both countries,” Dr Loh said.
Building skills and connections
Beyond technology development, the partnerships invested heavily in building enduring scientific connections through the India–Australia Minerals Scholars Network.
“The scholar network program was a conscious effort to create connections and build a research community to advance R&D in critical minerals and green steel in both countries,” Dr Loh said.
The India–Australia Minerals Scholar Network supported 28 student projects across critical minerals, batteries, iron ore beneficiation, green steel, carbon capture and hydrogen technologies.
Students and early-career researchers gained experience through internships, research exchanges, multi-year PhD projects, study tours, workshops and technical courses. The network also strengthened links between Australian institutions and seven of the nine Centres of Excellence established under India’s National Critical Minerals Mission.
“These relationships are key to carrying the work into the future,” said Dr Loh.
PhD student Avash Kumar Saha from the National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, said the scholar network had helped connect emerging researchers with international expertise and practical pathways for sustainable steelmaking.
“The India–Australia Minerals Scholar Network has been a transformative force in my research career, enabling me to work with world-leading scientists at CSIRO in Australia on technologies for sustainable steelmaking,” said Avash Kumar Saha
“This unique partnership demonstrates how international collaboration can accelerate scientific innovation, develop future research leaders and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable world.”
Continuing collaboration
Together, the partnerships have advanced practical research, strengthened bilateral capability and created new pathways for Australia and India to work together on critical minerals, low-emissions steelmaking and the skilled workforce needed to support future industries.
Read the summary of highlights report to explore the full range of outcomes, collaborations and research advances delivered through the India–Australia critical minerals and green steel partnerships.