Monash team enables workforce pipeline for India’s clean energy shift
The Australian Government has awarded the contract for the "Australia-India Mining & Renewable Energy Futures" project to a multidisciplinary team led by Professor Mohan Yellishetty, an international authority on resource sustainability from the Monash Faculty of Engineering.
Professor Yellishetty says the ambitious project arrives at a critical moment as both nations seek to strengthen institutional and research partnerships to drive mutual economic growth.
“There is a great opportunity to better connect Australian and Indian institutions and assist them to jointly leverage expertise and research infrastructure when engaging with industry through applied research,” he said. “Initiatives like this support future collaboration and capability-building, and provide crucial insights that allow the energy sectors in both countries to achieve their commercial goals.”
The world is currently in a race to secure critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements that serve as the building blocks for smartphones, electric vehicles, modern TVs, solar panels and more. India’s mining industries are transforming in response, backed by a government commitment of around US$4 billion to scale up domestic production of green steel, critical minerals and electric vehicles, driving the urgent need for robust supply chains and research innovation.
As a global leader in mining technology and research, Australia is uniquely positioned to support this shift. This project creates a roadmap for innovation and bilateral investment in sectors where Australia has a natural competitive edge.
Professor Yellishetty sees the project as key to unlocking strategic, commercial and research opportunities. “Our team will identify specific skills gaps in the current market to ensure that universities are training the experts that industry actually needs for applied research and commercialisation,” he says.
“We’ll also identify commercial partnership opportunities in India that connect industry stakeholders with joint Australian and Indian research expertise and infrastructure.”
The project will leverage the Australia-India Critical Minerals Research Hub, a network of over 150 researchers and industry leaders, alongside the IIT Bombay-Monash Research Academy, which has provided a successful model for joint research since 2008. Additionally, the Monash Energy Institute brings together more than 170 multidisciplinary researchers to provide the technical, social and market expertise required for complex energy transition systems.
To ensure the findings lead to real-world impact, the team is following a disciplined five-phase methodology. This process begins with an assessment of national policy frameworks and high-level stakeholder engagement, moving into regional multi-stakeholder workshops and direct site visits to mining and renewable energy facilities in both countries.
The final result will be a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations for short-, medium-, and long-term research partnerships and research workforce development opportunities.
The project’s success is underpinned by the expertise of the Monash Energy Institute, and Dr Pat Chen, an education-focused academic. Together, this team is working to ensure that the partnership between Australia and India becomes a practical engine for economic growth and a sustainable, low-carbon future.
