Union Minister G Kishan Reddy Inaugurates Critical Minerals Centre, VR Mine Simulator at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad

Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy has inaugurated a Centre of Excellence (CoE) under the National Critical Minerals Mission and a Virtual Reality Mine Simulator (VRMS) at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.

The newly launched CoE will serve as a national hub for research and industry-scale solutions in critical minerals, covering exploration, extraction, processing, recycling, reuse and waste-to-wealth initiatives. The centre will collaborate with leading global institutions, including the University of Cambridge and St Petersburg University, and receive infrastructure support from IIT Gandhinagar, IIT BHU and CPI (UK).

The Minister also inaugurated the Virtual Reality Mine Simulator (VRMS), India’s first VR-based mine simulator for coal mining safety and productivity. Developed by IIT (ISM) Dhanbad in collaboration with Coal India Ltd. Northern Coalfields Ltd., and Eastern Coalfields Ltd., the facility features a 360-degree immersive virtual reality theatre using real mine data.

Equipped with over 20 training modules, the simulator enables hands-on training for heavy equipment operations and critical safety SOPs. It offers scenario-based assessment and certification for personnel ranging from operators to senior management and is expected to reduce training time by nearly half while significantly enhancing safety preparedness.

In an informal interaction at RD Chowk, a traditional student gathering spot on campus, Reddy engaged with students and young researchers over tea, discussing innovation, sustainability, critical minerals, clean energy and indigenous research-driven solutions.

Encouraging students to look beyond conventional career paths, the Minister urged them to see themselves as contributors to national development and strategic sectors. He emphasised that India’s future in mining and energy will be shaped by innovation-driven youth.

Earlier, Reddy highlighted IIT (ISM)’s pivotal role in shaping India’s mining future through research, knowledge creation and technological advancement. He noted that the mining sector is at a transformative phase, driven by technology, sustainability, critical minerals and national security, aligned with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The Minister also cited digital initiatives such as Coal SETU, the Koyla Shakti Dashboard, and Integrated Command and Control Systems, which are leveraging technology to enhance real-time monitoring, efficiency, transparency and safety in the mining sector.