New Delhi: Atria University has partnered with MiniMines Cleantech Solutions to establish a research laboratory that will use artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic biology to recover critical minerals from spent lithium-ion batteries, in a move aimed at strengthening India’s clean energy and critical minerals ecosystem.
The MiniMines-AU Laboratory for Sustainable Resource Recovery, located at Atria University’s Bengaluru campus, will focus on developing next-generation technologies for extracting critical metals from end-of-life batteries. The collaboration combines the university’s expertise in AI and life sciences with MiniMines’ capabilities in battery recycling and critical mineral recovery.
The first phase of research will focus on recovering lithium from used lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries while preserving high-grade iron phosphate, a challenge with conventional chemical recycling methods. Researchers, faculty members and students will work on microbial cultivation, bioleaching experiments and laboratory-scale validation as part of the project.
The initiative aligns with the Centre’s BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) policy and the National Critical Minerals Mission, both of which seek to strengthen India’s domestic capabilities in strategic mineral resources and sustainable manufacturing.
“Securing critical minerals is central to India’s clean energy transition and economic resilience. This partnership demonstrates how industry and academia can build strategic technologies together by combining artificial intelligence, life sciences and industrial expertise to translate research into real-world solutions,” said Dr Madhavan Nair Rajeevan, Vice-Chancellor of Atria University.
Arvind Bhardwaj, Chief Technology Officer of MiniMines Cleantech Solutions, said India’s clean energy ambitions would require not only battery manufacturing but also a sustainable domestic supply of critical minerals. He said the collaboration aims to develop scalable technologies by combining advanced metallurgy, AI and biological innovation.
The laboratory will operate under Atria University’s SynBioAI initiative, which uses specialised AI models to help scientists engineer microbial strains for resource recovery. The partners said the approach could reduce the chemical and energy intensity associated with conventional recycling while improving recovery of metals from complex battery waste.
According to the partners, MiniMines will assess the scalability and commercial viability of technologies developed at the lab, helping translate academic research into deployable industrial solutions. The collaboration is also expected to provide students with opportunities to participate in applied research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, biotechnology and sustainability.
