Bhubaneswar: Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd (OMC) conducted the trial run of the Platinum Group Minerals (PGM) Pilot Plant at CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar, for extraction of Platinum Group Elements (PGE) from ore of Keonjhar’s Bangur Chromite Mines.
The succ
essful trial marks a significant advancement in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in strategic minerals. PGEs such as platinum, palladium and rhodium are vital for clean energy technologies, electronics and automotive sectors.
The Rs 10-crore pilot plant has been developed under a two-phase R&D programme of OMC, in collaboration with CSIR-IMMT and Mintek South Africa.
The 1-tonne-per-hour pilot plant aims to establish India’s first integrated PGE beneficiation and smelting facility.
Insights from joint field studies conducted by OMC, Mintek and CSIR-IMMT teams at Bangur Mines in October 2025 shaped the pilot plant’s design and operations.