Former IAF chief RKS Bhadauria joins LOHUM as strategic advisor
LOHUM, a diversified producer of sustainable critical minerals and advanced materials, has appointed Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd), former Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, as Strategic Advisor to support its Defence Materials Sovereignty Programme.
The initiative, being undertaken in partnership with VishvaSutra, aims to establish a structured ecosystem for recovering critical minerals and advanced materials from decommissioned defence assets and advancing indigenous technologies for their refining and reuse.
The programme will focus on three key areas: creating secure and transparent pathways for recovering strategic materials from retired defence platforms; developing indigenous technologies for refining materials such as gallium, titanium and rare earth elements; and contributing to a national framework for strengthening critical-mineral security in the defence sector.
India’s dependence on imports for several critical minerals has made domestic recovery and refining increasingly important. Decommissioned aircraft, vehicles, radar and communication systems, batteries, cables and specialised equipment contain valuable materials including titanium, aluminium, copper, nickel, cobalt, rare earth elements, specialised steels and high-performance alloys. Recovering and reintroducing these materials into domestic supply chains can help reduce import dependence and strengthen industrial resilience.
LOHUM brings expertise in advanced refining and recycling of critical minerals and materials, while VishvaSutra contributes strategic capabilities across defence, aerospace, technology, policy and institution-building.
