“EXPERIENCE can be great, but creating a legacy is better.” Madhu Nair, a power and mining industry veteran with over 40 years of experience in the field, has embarked upon the journey of creating a legacy. He is on a mission to fulfill India’s aim of extraction of coal-based Rare Earth Elements (REE) in the country. In his early 70s, Nair, a mechanical engineer by profession, is looking forward to explore new fields and blaze a new trail. CEO of MaxelS Tekventures Pvt. Ltd. Nagpur, Nair is now passionately pursuing projects of national importance by being part of a team working on exploration and detection of hidden potential of secondary mineral sources.

 

“The idea to start a laboratory for secondary mineral sources came in my mind way back in 2022 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for ‘Atmanirbharta’ in the field of critical minerals,” Nair told ‘The Hitavada’. Earlier, as a senior executive at a global MNC, Nair pioneered the concept of power-grade coal washeries in India. He has since been the brain behind the design and set-up of more than a dozen major washeries nationwide. After hanging his boots in mining and power sector, he pioneered this critical mineral project at the age of 70. “Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) laid foundation for this monumental pioneering project and I am proud to be associated with this project,” said Nair. With the help of WCL, Nair established a Centre of Excellence for Critical Minerals and Digital Mineralogy along with IIT (ISM), Dhanbad at Nagpur. “We are putting all efforts to tackle the critical challenge of detecting and extracting REEs and critical minerals working with many institutes like IIT-BHU, CSIR Labs, IIT ISM and private laboratories to turn coal waste into national wealth in this Centre of Excellence,” he added.

 

Currently, this Centre of Excellence is working on R&D on extraction of titanium from coalmine overburden with the help of Ministry of Mines. Apart from this, the Centre of Excellence is also doing R&D to extract Potash and Tungsten. “Sitting in the centre of the country, Nagpur has the potential to be known as a mineral hub. In 400 km radius of Nagpur, I think we should have the 40 per cent of natural resources including coal which should be addressed for REEs and critical minerals,” said Nair. “Here in Nagpur, we are sitting on huge natural resources. All stakeholders, including the State Government, should be aware of the resources we have in this region and what we can profitably extract to get critical minerals,” said the mining industry veteran.

 

When asked about self-reliance in critical minerals, Nair said, “Keeping the status of natural resources in mind, I can say that we have relatively less amount of critical mineral in India. However, it may take at least 20-30 years to be partial self-reliant in this sector.” “Rajasthan is showing promise in extraction of critical minerals. Similarly, Western Maharashtra and Coastal Maharashtra should have enough to work on. In Central region, Gondia, Gadchiroli and Chhattisgarh also have potential for REEs,” claimed Nair. Nair and his team is following the philosophy of “Redefining Possibilities” in mineral beneficiation into a pioneer in the recovery of REE and critical minerals.