National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM) Signs MoU with Siby Mining to collaborate on 'controlled blasting' projects

The MoU was signed between Mr Siby Lukos, Founder & MD and Dr Sripad R Naik Director (Additional Charge) signed the MoU on behalf of M/s Siby Mining and NIRM respectively today. This MoU aims to pool the technical expertise of both organizations to deliver safe, precise, and innovative blasting solutions for critical projects nationwide.

Siby Mining, established in 2000 and headquartered in Hyderabad, is widely recognized as one of India’s leading experts in controlled blasting. The company undertakes excavation and rock blasting works for a wide range of sectors including national highways, power projects, mining overburden removal, and aggregate production. Notably, Siby Mining has successfully assisted Coal India Limited (CIL) in unlocking inaccessible coal reserves at Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) and Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) through its advanced controlled blasting techniques.

The National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM) is an autonomous research organization under the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, dedicated to the field of rock engineering and rock mechanics. NIRM has been in the service of the nation for 35 years with the objective of providing scientific and technological services to the mining, tunnelling, transport, and power sectors through applied research, consultancy, testing, and training. NIRM scientific solutions meet industry requirements/challenges in rock engineering and rock mechanics related measurements and challenges to make value addition to planning, design, excavation, and construction stages of minor and major projects with zero/minimised hazards and improved productivity.

Commenting on the association, Mr. Siby Lukose, MD, Siby Mining said, "This MoU comes at a crucial time when India is witnessing a growing need for precision-controlled blasting in coal mining and large-scale infrastructure development. It is estimated that over 20–30 million tonnes of coal remain locked due to geological complexities, and advanced blasting methods can help extract these resources efficiently. Siby Mining is already in discussions with several subsidiaries of Coal India Limited to undertake such critical extractions."

"Siby Mining is a leader in control blasting, and NIRM has the best technical expertise in field and laboratory investigations, basic and applied research, and solving complex problems in almost entire spectrum of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering related to Mining and Civil Engineering activities. This association will put together the best team in the field to deal with the most complex on-ground scenarios," added Dr. Sripad R. Naik, Director, NIRM.

Currently, both entities are working together at the 500 MW Chitravati Pumped Storage Project of M/s Adani Green Energy, located in Peddakota, Sri Sathya Sai District, Andhra Pradesh. They have previously collaborated at the NPCIL Nuclear Power Plant site in Rawatbhata, Rajasthan.

Both Siby Mining and NIRM believe this collaboration will play a significant role in enhancing productivity, safety, and sustainability in India’s mining and infrastructure sectors; and this partnership is poised to contribute significantly to national development objectives.