Page 129 - CW E-Magazine (24-6-2025)

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exceptional team of microelectronics tech group of companies will empower BOOT contracts, also establishes a stra-
water specialists, and we are thrilled our semiconductor and high-tech manu- tegic base in Singapore – a regional hub
to welcome them to Aquatech,” said facturing customers to scale with for innovation and talent, and a glob-
Devesh Sharma, CEO at Aquatech. “As confi dence.” ally recognized leader in water techno-
water becomes a critical enabler for logy – enabling deeper engagement
more and more industrial operations, Aquatech’s acquisition of Century, with East and Southeast Asian industrial
bringing Century Water into the Aqua- which includes several O&M and water customers.

INDIGENOUS EFFORT
Midwest Advanced Materials to invest Rs. 1,000-crore

for rare earth magnet production

The Technology Development indigenous manufacturing. Under the MAM will source raw materials from
Board (TDB), under India’s Depart- initiative, NFTDC is transferring its India Rare Earths Ltd. (IREL), and lever-
ment of Science & Technology, technology to MAM, establishing a age domestically designed low-cost plant
has sanctioned funding to support fully integrated production ecosystem – and machinery to enhance the project’s
Hyderabad-based Midwest Advanced from rare-earth oxide extraction to economic viability.
Materials Pvt. Ltd. (MAM) in setting fi nished magnet assembly.
up a domestically-scaled facility for Reducing reliance on imports
neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) rare- Initially, the plant will produce According to Rajesh Kumar Pathak,
earth permanent magnets. around 500-tpa of fi nished NdFeB Secretary, TDB, the initiative not only
magnets annually, derived from app- advances India’s clean-energy goals but
These magnets are crucial for roximately 150-170 tonnes of rare- also addresses critical supply-chain risks
electric-vehicle propulsion systems, earth oxide feedstock. Production by reducing reliance on foreign magnet
wind-turbine generators, and a wide capacity is planned to climb to 5,000-tpa imports.
range of high-tech equipment. by 2030.
As India pushes for greener mobility
Indigenous technology According to NFTDC Director, and cleaner energy, self-reliance in per-
The Rs. 1,000-crore project will Dr K. Bala Subramanian, this demon- manent-magnet production is vital. At a
leverage advanced Molten Salt Electro- stration facility (TRL-9) will catalyse time when global supply chains are pivot-
lysis (MSE) technology developed by Indian capabilities across high-perfor- ing away from China, this Rs. 1,000 crore
the Non-Ferrous Materials Technology mance magnets, impacting sectors like initiative strengthens India’s strategic
Development Centre (NFTDC), marking smartphones, medical imaging, robo- position and boosts competitive edge in
a signifi cant stride toward eco-friendly, tics, and renewable energy. high-tech manufacturing.

SALT PRODUCTION
CSIR-CSMCRI signs technology collaboration MoU
with Philippines university

The Council of Scientifi c and Industrial CSIR-CSMCRI, the collaboration will salt sector. Leveraging CSIR-CSMCRI’s
Research-Central Salt & Marine Chemi- focus on research and development initia- decades-long expertise, the Centre aims
cals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI), tives, especially in the areas of modern salt to bring cutting-edge innovations and
Bhavnagar, has signed a Memorandum production, membrane technology, and sustainability to traditional salt farming
of Understanding (MoU) with Pangasi- marine biotechnology. PSU is spearhead- methods. As part of this bilateral part-
nan State University (PSU), Philippines, ing the establishment of the Accelerating nership, an ‘International Seminar on
to jointly develop and promote advanced Salt Research and Innovation (ASIN) Advanced Salt, Water, and Marine
technologies in salt production. Accord- Centre, a fl agship program in the Philip- Technologies’ was organised at CSIR-
ing to Dr. Kannan Srinivasan, Director, pines designed to upgrade the country’s CSMCRI on June 10, 2025.

Chemical Weekly June 24, 2025 129

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