Lucknow, 11

March (HS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met with Nobel

Laureate Konstantin Novoselov in Lucknow to discuss the establishment of India's

first Rare Earth to Magnet integrated facility, which would promote

high-tech manufacturing and advanced material research. The meet focused on

industrial-scale graphene applications. Nobel Laureate Konstantin Novoselov met

with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to discuss advanced materials research,

innovation, and Lohum's plans for a Rare Earth to Magnet plant. This

partnership intends to establish Uttar Pradesh as a premier center for

innovative material engineering. Novoselov, who discovered graphene, is a

strategic advisor to Lohum.

According

a press communiqué, Konstantin Novoselov, joint Nobel Prize winner in Physics,

met with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday morning. The meeting

discussed the potential for making Uttar Pradesh a major hub for advanced

materials research and engineering in the country. They also discussed in

detail India's plan to establish its first rare earth to magnet

integrated facility in the state. The establishment of this facility will boost

high-tech manufacturing in the country. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed

Nobel laureate Novoselov, Lohum CEO Rajat Verma, and the company's Chief of

Staff, Ayush Sabat, to Uttar Pradesh. The three guests praised Uttar Pradesh's

positive investment climate and expressed their commitment to making the state

a major hub for advanced materials research and engineering.

In a post

on X, Yogi Adityanath mentioned, “Had a warm and productive interaction with

Nobel Laureate Prof. Konstantin Novoselov and discussed opportunities to

strengthen advanced materials research and innovation in Uttar Pradesh.”

In another

post on X, he stated, “Met Mr. Rajat Verma, Founder & CEO of Lohum and Mr.

Ayush Sabat, Chief of Staff at Lohum and discussed opportunities in advanced

materials research and engineering. Lohum’s proposal to set up India’s first

rare earth–to–magnet integrated facility in Uttar Pradesh reflects the growing

interest of global and national innovators in the state’s evolving industrial

ecosystem.”

It is

noteworthy that Nobel laureate Konstantin Novoselov, world-renowned for the

discovery of graphene, is working with Loham as a strategic advisor and collaborator.

Their goal is to apply advanced materials science to battery technology and the

energy sector at an industrial scale. The collaboration between Loham and

Novoselov focuses on two key areas: first, improving the capacity, safety, and

life of next-generation lithium-ion batteries using T-D materials (such as

graphene), and second, developing advanced recycling systems for batteries and

permanent magnets to ensure better recovery of critical minerals, which will

strengthen the circular economy. This collaboration is also considered

important for India's Make in India and green energy vision.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi