In a significant advancement for India's strategic minerals sector, the Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd (OMC) successfully conducted a trial run of a platinum group minerals (PGM) pilot plant at the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This initiative, developed in collaboration with South Africa’s Mintek, is part of a ₹10-crore (approximately $1.2 million USD) research project aimed at establishing India's first integrated platinum group element (PGE) beneficiation and smelting ecosystem. The pilot plant, capable of processing one tonne of ore per hour, will assess the consistency, recovery rates, and scalability of PGE extraction from ore sourced from the Bangur chromite mines in Keonjhar district.

The successful extraction of PGEs such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium is crucial for various industries, including clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing. Given that global supplies of these elements are concentrated in a few countries, this initiative is vital for reducing India's import dependence. The pilot plant's design was informed by field studies conducted in October 2025, focusing on the characteristics and extraction pathways of chromite ore. OMC's achievement comes as it reports record mineral production and revenue, highlighting its commitment to sustainable mining and diversification into value-added minerals.