Need to strengthen industry-scale knowledge of mining new age minerals to enable India to take a lead on extraction and processing of these minerals

Kolkata, June 19: The lack of industry–scale knowledge of mining of critical minerals is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for India when it comes to extraction and processing of these minerals.

According to Mr Asit Saha, Director General, Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Mines, Government of India, India has been a “powerhouse” when it comes to mining of bulk minerals. However, when it comes to new age minerals, we still do not have the industry–scale knowledge on extraction and processing of these minerals and that is preventing the country from taking a lead.

“We are very comfortably placed as far as iron ore, limestone, chromite, bauxite etc are concerned. But when we talk about these new age minerals, we are absolutely low-end. It is not only because of land acquisition issues and environmental issues. There are other factors which we need to take into cognisance. We still do not have the industry–scale knowledge as to how to extract and process these minerals. That is the biggest stumbling block, which is preventing us from taking the lead,” Mr Saha said at the 4^th Edition of Minerals and Mining Conclave, organised by Assocham here on Friday. 

Mining of critical minerals and REE (rare earth elements), which are relatively small scale, calls for a separate strategy and thinking, as against bulk mining.

“Critical minerals have emerged as a strategic currency of geopolitical influence. Lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, graphite, copper are no longer ordinary commodities. They have become strategic national assets. The global race is no longer for oil fields, it is now for minerals value chain,” Dr Pukhraj Nenival, Controller of Mines (East Zone), Indian Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Mines, said.

The government of India has initiated one of the most comprehensive reform trajectories in the history of Indian mining. From policy driven regulation, India is progressively moving towards technology enabled governance, investment facilitation, resource efficiency and global competitiveness. The reforms encompassing commercial mining, digitization, exploration acceleration, mineral auctions, critical mineral development and institutional strengthening have fundamentally redefined India‘s mining landscape, he added.

West Bengal has good critical deposits in the mineral bearing districts and the Directorate of Mines and Minerals has requested GSI to work on it. In some cases, it is also looking to work jointly with GSI, Ms Sarmistha Ghosh, Assistant Director, Directorate of Mines and Minerals, West Bengal said.

“India has huge reserve of rare earths, critical minerals like vanadium, titanium, graphite. But the main challenge lies in the beneficiation and process of getting, acquiring processing technology or beneficiation technology to extract these minerals from the rock and the primary mineral. Recent reforms and initiatives taken by Ministry of Mines and Ministry of Coal by Government of India have created a more transparent and investor-friendly ecosystem, opening new opportunities for exploration, beneficiation, value addition and international collaborations,” Mr Sanjiv Ganeriwala, Chairman, ASSOCHAM Mining Council – East, said.

Colloquial and HDFC Mutual Fund turn the camera around on Fathers with ‘Fathers In Focus’

Mumbai, June 20: Creative agency Colloquial, in partnership with HDFC Mutual Fund, has launched Fathers In Focus, a Father’s Day campaign that helps people use artificial intelligence to add their fathers back into old family photographs.

Fathers are the most consistently present people in our lives. And the most consistently invisible. They don’t announce what they do. They don’t ask to be noticed. They just show up. Every day. For decades. Quietly building a life for their families without ever stepping into the foreground.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the family photo album. Flip through any of them and you will find decades of birthdays, holidays, and ordinary afternoons. But barely a single photograph with the father in it.

This is the insight at the heart of Fathers In Focus. A father’s love, the campaign observes, works exactly like a SIP. Small, steady, unannounced contributions, compounding silently over decades, working in the background, never in the foreground. The family photo album is perhaps the most honest proof of that — built entirely by him, without him ever being in it.

The campaign launches with a film and is anchored by a digital platform at www.hdfcfund.com/fathers-in-focus, which offers people carefully crafted prompts that they can take to any AI platform of their choice to recreate old family photographs with their fathers finally in the frame. At a time when AI is predominantly being used to churn out meaningless brainrot content, Fathers In Focus asks people to use it for something more personal, something more meaningful.

“Every cultural movement and social trend finds its reflection in the smallest things. We chanced upon one such small thing — the family album. Looking at these albums, we realised that our fathers have spent decades behind the camera taking all the pictures while rarely featuring in them. And this became the core of our campaign. With Fathers In Focus, we are celebrating them by not only bringing this truth to life but also giving people a chance to alter it. In today’s age, where AI is used to manufacture moments that never happened, we wanted to use it to restore the ones that did.” — Srijan and Pradyot, Co-Founders and Creatives, Colloquial

Fathers In Focus is a reminder that the most powerful ideas are often hiding in plain sight. In the everyday moments, the unnoticed habits, the quiet presences that shape our lives without ever asking to be seen. For Colloquial, it’s important to find these truths and give themthe platform they deserve. Ideas that don’t just communicate a brand’s message, but reflect something real about the people they are speaking to.

Sterling Kanha Wins Tripadvisor Best of the Best for Fourth Consecutive Year; 28 Sterling Resorts Earn Travellers’ Choice Honours

Chennai,  June 19: Sterling Holiday Resorts has been recognised at the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2026, with 28 resorts across its portfolio earning Travellers’ Choice honours. Sterling Kanha has also received the prestigious Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Award fo the fourth consecutive year.

The 28 award-winning resorts represent approximately 49% of Sterling’s eligible resort portfolio, defined as properties that have completed at least one full year of operations. The breadth of recognition makes this a significant portfolio-level endorsement of Sterling’s guest experience across leisure, wildlife, wellness, pilgrimage, hill and emerging destinations.

Of the total 28 winning resorts, 21 have been recognised for two consecutive years, while 12 have achieved a three-year winning streak. This sustained performance reinforces the strength of Sterling’s service standards and operating discipline across destinations and resort formats.

While seven resorts joined the winners’ list this year, five resorts were recognized for the first time: Sterling Athirappilly, Sterling Brookstone Coorg, Sterling Manali, Sterling Mount Abu, Sterling Bagh Ranthambore, Sterling Rewild Sariska and Sterling Aravalli Udaipur.

Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director & CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts, said:

“For Sterling, these awards are a measure of consistency, not isolated excellence. Recognition for 28 resorts – and a fourth consecutive Best of the Best honour for Sterling Kanha – shows that our guest promise is translating into dependable experiences across destinations and resort formats. As we grow, every resort must earn the same trust through thoughtful service, authentic local discovery and disciplined operations.”

These results reinforce Sterling’s strategy of combining dependable service standards with locally rooted experiences as it expands across India. 

Fortis Bannerghatta Road Successfully Removes 200 Plus Gallstones from 71-Year-Old Breast Cancer Patient Through Robot-Assisted Surgery

Bengaluru, June 19: Doctors at Fortis Hospital Bannerghatta Road, successfully removed more than 200 gallstones from a 71–year–old woman undergoing treatment for breast cancer, who was also battling a severe gallbladder infection and multiple co-morbidities. The highly challenging robot–assisted surgery in India was led by Dr. Manish Joshi and supported by a multi-disciplinary team of specialists. The presence of over 200 gallstones in a single patient is exceptionally rare and is estimated to occur in fewer than 1% of reported gallstone cases worldwide. As per available medical literature, this is believed to be the first reported case in India involving the removal of more than 200 gallstones in a patient undergoing active treatment for breast cancer.

The patient had been admitted at Fortis Bannerghatta with multiple health conditions, including abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Detailed Clinical investigations revealed acute gallbladder inflammation caused by multiple gallstones and further scans revealed that gallstones had blocked the common bile duct, resulting in swelling of the bile ducts and increasing the risk of serious complications. The patient also had pre-existing medical conditions, including hypothyroidism, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and cancer in the right breast for which she was ongoing chemotherapy. Owing to the patient’s age, the ongoing medical treatment, multiple co-morbidities and the severity of infection, the case posed significant surgical challenges and required careful multi-disciplinary evaluation before proceeding for the surgery.

Prior to the surgery, the gastroenterology team led by Dr. Ravindra B S performed an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography procedure to remove the bile duct stone and place a temporary stent to help maintain bile flow. During the surgery, doctors found that the gallbladder was severely infected with pus and contained more than 200+ gallstones. Considering the severity and complexity of the condition, the surgical team performed a  robotic cholecystectomy to safely remove the infected gallbladder using  ICG Technique The patient was discharged in a stable condition on the second day after the surgery and was advised regular follow-up for continued monitoring and long-term care.

Giving details of the case, Dr. Manish Joshi, Director, Surgical Gastroenterology, Bariatric & Robotic Surgeon, Fortis Hospital, BG Road, Bengaluru, said,” Gallstone disease affects approximately 10–15% of adults worldwide, and at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road we perform nearly 400–500 gallbladder surgeries each year. However, most patients typically have only one to five gallstones. Discovering more than 200 gallstones in a single patient is extraordinarily rare and is estimated to occur in fewer than 1% of reported cases globally. With the support of robotic-assisted surgery, we were able to operate with enhanced precision, improved visualization, and greater control in this challenging situation, enabling a safer procedure and contributing to a faster recovery for the patient.”

Sharing her experience, the patient said, “I was in severe pain and quite worried because of my existing health condition. I am grateful to the doctors and medical team at Fortis Hospital, BG Road for treating me with such care and confidence. Thanks to the timely treatment and advanced robotic surgery, I recovered smoothly and was able to return home in stable condition.”

Mr. Gautham CB, Facility Director, Fortis Hospital Bannerghatta Road, said, “The successful management of this complex high-risk case reflects the strength of our multidisciplinary expertise and advanced robotic surgical capabilities at Fortis Hospital, BG Road. This achievement, which is considered a first in India, highlights our commitment to leveraging advanced technology and clinical excellence to deliver precise, patient-centric care even in the most challenging medical conditions.”