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MiniMines’ Indigenous innovation strengthens India's critical mineral recovery capabilities and advances circular economy goals

MiniMines Cleantech Solutions Pvt. Ltd., India’s fastest-growing R4 recycling company providing end-to-end solutions for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, has been granted a patent by the Indian Patent Office for its proprietary Hybrid Hydrometallurgy (HHM^R) technology. The patented process enables the efficient recovery of critical minerals from energy storage devices and electronic waste, including end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, irrespective of their chemical composition, size or shape.

The patented HHM^R technology integrates multiple recovery techniques into a unified hydrometallurgical process, enabling the efficient extraction of valuable critical minerals from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. The process enables the recovery of high-purity materials, including lithium, cobalt, manganese, aluminium, copper and nickel, along with spherical graphite with up to 99% purity, while maintaining a low environmental footprint.

Designed and developed in India, the technology addresses a growing need for sustainable and resource-efficient battery recycling solutions as the adoption of electric vehicles and energy storage systems accelerates globally. The patented process has already been successfully deployed and validated at MiniMines’ commercial facility, where it forms the foundation of the company’s lithium-ion battery recycling operations.

Commenting on the milestone, Arvind Bhardwaj, Co-Founder & CTO, MiniMines Cleantech Solutions, said "The grant of this patent is a significant milestone in MiniMines’ journey towards building indigenous technology capabilities for India’s critical minerals ecosystem. Hybrid Hydrometallurgy (HHM^R) represents our commitment to developing sustainable, scalable and commercially viable solutions that enable resource recovery while reducing environmental impact. As India’s demand for critical minerals continues to grow, technologies like HHM^R will play an important role in strengthening resource security and accelerating the transition towards a circular economy."

The patent reinforces MiniMines’ focus on technology-led innovation in the critical minerals sector. Beyond lithium-ion batteries, the company is leveraging its advanced recovery expertise to extract critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs) from diverse and complex waste streams.

MiniMines’ efforts to build India’s critical mineral and rare earth ecosystem are backed by strong institutional support, including ₹4.3 crore in grants from Oil India Corporation following multiple process validations, recognition from UNIDO, BEE and GEF for its low-carbon battery recycling technology, and support from ACT Grants and Mercedes-Benz through its Climate Tech Incubator, Villgro. The company had also recently collaborated with Maruti Suzuki to recycle end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and support its sustainability and EV ambitions.

As India works towards strengthening domestic capabilities across clean energy, electric mobility and advanced manufacturing sectors, MiniMines’ patented HHM^R technology represents a step forward in building a robust circular economy ecosystem for critical materials.