Jamshedpur, September 24, 2026:

The two-day CIRCON 2026 – Circularity Conference, themed “Reimagining Valorisation through Innovation & Entrepreneurship,” commenced today at Beldih Club, Jamshedpur. The conference brings together experts from industry, academia, research institutions and emerging enterprises to deliberate on sustainable resource utilisation and the transition towards a circular economy. The conference is being organised by Tata Steel in association with the Indian Institute of Metals (IIM), Jamshedpur Chapter, CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR-NML), Jamshedpur, and the Indian Ceramic Society.

The inaugural session was graced by Padma Bhushan Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Former Member, NITI Aayog, as the Chief Guest. D B Sundara Ramam, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, and Dr Goutam Sutradhar, Director, NIT Jamshedpur, attended the ceremony as Guests of Honour. 

The session was presided over by Dipankar Dasgupta, Executive-in-Charge, IBMD, Tata Steel, who also set the context for the conference. Bhargav Dhavala, Convenor, CIRCON 2026, Tata Steel, delivered the vote of thanks.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. V. K. Saraswat highlighted the challenges posed by climate change and carbon footprints, emphasising the need for sustainable technologies and innovative approaches to address circularity challenges. 

D B Sundara Ramam highlighted Tata Steel’s focus on the 100% utilisation of coal and its associated by-products, including ash, as part of its commitment towards resource efficiency and sustainable industrial practices. 

Dr. Goutam Sutradhar highlighted the growing national demand for critical metals and emphasised a three-step approach of recovery, reuse and responsible disposal. He also underlined the increasing importance of resource efficiency, waste valorisation, innovation and sustainable technologies in addressing the challenges arising from industrial growth and rising resource consumption. 

Following the Inauguration, panel discussion was co-ordinated by Dr. Atanu Ranjan Pal, Chairman, IIM Jamshedpur Chapter on the topic ‘The difficult last mile of Circularity: Can every Industrial waste find a Home? 

With around 200 participants and stakeholders, CIRCON 2026 provides a platform for industry, academia, research organisations and startups to explore how industrial by-products, waste streams and secondary resources can be transformed into valuable materials through technological innovation and entrepreneurship.

The conference features a series of plenary talks covering key areas such as hazardous waste management and resource recovery, rare earth elements in Indian coal, resource efficiency across the mineral value chain, urban mining and critical mineral recovery, and the economics of pollution and resource recovery. A panel discussion will further deliberate on the challenges and opportunities associated with developing sustainable applications for difficult-to-manage industrial wastes. The two-day technical programme encompasses diverse themes, including industrial by-product utilisation, slag and fly ash valorisation, critical metal recovery, refractory recycling, lithium-ion battery recycling, e-waste management, urban mining, carbon capture, circular steelmaking and next-generation resource recovery. CIRCON 2026 also provides a dedicated platform for startups through the “Innovations for a Circular Future” Startup Elevator Pitch, aimed at showcasing emerging technologies, innovative solutions and entrepreneurial approaches in the circular economy. The conference seeks to strengthen collaboration among industry, academia, research organisations and startups, while promoting practical, innovative and economically viable pathways for circular resource management and sustainable industrial development.