Tanka Engineers LLP
Did you know that the rocks under our feet are key to everything from the gold in jewelry to the lithium in our phone batteries? The mining, geology, and mineral processing industry is the foundational force that unearths these essential elements, making it a surprisingly crucial part of our everyday lives.
Amidst the competitive global mining sector, India-based Tanka Engineers LLP, with a wide international reach, excels as a multidisciplinary consultancy. Driven by genuine client collaboration, Managing Director Vivek Ranganathan leads the firm in offering comprehensive engineering and consultancy throughout the mining lifecycle. Vivek’s entrepreneurial path shows value-driven solutions, overcoming early hurdles by providing tangible results. His leadership emphasizes balancing technical expertise with practical understanding in the unpredictable mining world.
Tanka Engineers offers comprehensive, end-to-end mineral project solutions, from greenfield exploration to plant commissioning. Their key services are exploration, feasibility studies (NI 43-101, JORC), resource modeling, mining studies, project valuation, and investor support. They also provide turnkey EPCM for mineral processing plants, with a strong record in gold and battery metals. Their client-focused approach gives close integration and builds long, trust-based partnerships.
In the spotlight of this edition is the Managing Director of Tanka Engineers LLP, Vivek Ranganathan, in an interview for our prestigious “Innovative Company In Focus 2025” edition. Stay tuned as we delve into his insights and the invaluable lessons he has garnered as an entrepreneur, providing a roadmap for aspiring leaders to excel and build impactful companies.
Prime Insights: Can you introduce your company and its core mission?
Tanka Engineers LLP is India’s premier multidisciplinary consultancy focused on full-spectrum engineering and consultancy, serving the global mining, geology, and mineral processing industries. Our mission is to provide technically sound, commercially viable, and execution-ready solutions in the entire project lifecycle—from greenfield exploration to plant commissioning. We’ve worked across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, helping clients plan, design, and build mines and processing plants. Our mission is to be a global partner for gold, lithium, graphite, and other critical mineral developers with intelligent design and execution excellence.
Prime Insights: What inspired you to establish your company, and what problem does it aim to solve?
Tanka Engineers was built on the belief that mining clients deserve more than consultancy—they deserve collaboration. Many firms offered piecemeal solutions, but few were truly invested in project outcomes. We set out to change that by providing value-driven engineering services that go with our clients’ commercial goals and operational realities.
Prime Insights: What were the biggest challenges you faced in the early days, and how did you overcome them?
In a sector full of legacy players, being a new entrant meant proving our worth through performance. We are providing measurable outcomes—better recoveries, faster commissioning, and lower capex leakages. Over time, we earned the trust of clients worldwide by doing what we said and doing it well.
Prime Insights: How is your brand redefining “trust” in the mining industry, and what sets it apart from competitors?
We redefine trust by taking ownership, not just offering advice. Our clients know we stay committed beyond documentation—into procurement, commissioning, troubleshooting, and even cost audits. We’re proud to be among the very few Indian firms providing complete EPCM solutions for gold and battery metal plants across continents.
Prime Insights: What are your company’s flagship services that distinguish it in the market?
As Tanka Engineers, our expertise spans the entire mineral project lifecycle, from initial discovery to plant commissioning. We partner with clients through exploration planning and execution, scoping and pre-feasibility studies, detailed feasibility and bankable reports (NI 43-101, JORC), resource modeling, and mining studies. Our support extends to project valuation, investor presentations, and exit readiness, helping us to unlock commercial production or improve asset value for investment or strategic exits.
We also provide turnkey EPCM solutions for mineral processing plants, with a strong track record in gold and battery metals (lithium, graphite, tin, and tungsten). Our comprehensive services include process flow sheet development, metallurgy optimization, basic and detailed engineering (process, mechanical, E&I, piping, civil & structural), procurement, global vendor management, civil construction management, equipment logistics, erection, commissioning, and post-startup troubleshooting and optimization. Clients choose us for our accountability, technical depth, and practical site experience, ensuring their plant is not only built but also performs effectively.
Prime Insights: How do you perceive trust evolving in today’s competitive mining world?
Modern mining projects demand speed, modularity, environmental focus, and cross-commodity agility. Trust is built when engineering partners can adapt quickly and deliver designs that actually work in the field. At Tanka, our ability to bring both innovation and execution to the table is what keeps our partners coming back.
Prime Insights: What strategies have you employed to build a strong brand presence and customer loyalty?
Our strategy is simple—execute with clarity, speed, and full responsibility. We don’t just deliver drawings or advice—we drive momentum. By ensuring that every project starts on a strong footing, we create the right push that carries it confidently to the next level. A major enabler of this consistency is our trusted vendor and execution network—partners who understand our expectations in terms of quality, specification, and delivery discipline. This seamless alignment has helped us build repeat client relationships, grow through referrals, and maintain a reputation for ownership-driven engineering.
Prime Insights: How does your company foster deep connections with clients in the mining sector?
We integrate with our clients—not just as consultants, but as long-term stakeholders. Our involvement often begins right at the concept stage—helping clients interpret test results, validate early decisions, and shape their technical vision. We are always available—whether it’s a quick call to discuss metallurgical options or an in-depth discussion on project direction.
Clients trust us because we travel the journey with them, allowing their ideas to mature while we stay engaged until our formal scope begins. Even outside active contracts, we remain a dependable sounding board—ensuring that support is never tied only to commercial engagement. This culture of accessibility and shared ownership is what fosters the deep, lasting relationships we value.
Prime Insights: Have you introduced any innovations or transformations recently?
Yes. Our hybrid circuit designs now allow recovery of co-products from polymetallic ores, such as lithium-tin-tantalum.
Prime Insights: What is the first emotion you aim to evoke when someone encounters your brand?
“Technically solid. Commercially smart. Execution-driven.” We want every client to feel they’ve found a partner who understands both the risks and the returns.
“At Tanka Engineers, we don’t just consult—we co-create. By blending technical precision with relentless execution, we turn mineral potential into tangible value, building trust one project at a time.”
Prime Insights: What are your company’s future goals and vision for the coming years?
We aim to expand our execution footprint in Central Asia, Africa, and LATAM; deepen our focus on battery metal value chains; and build in-house testing capabilities for bench- and pilot-scale validation. Above all, we want to stay trusted by our clients as their go-to mining EPCM partner.
Prime Insights: Can you tell us about your journey as an entrepreneur and the lessons learned?
The most valuable insight? That technical excellence must always walk with humility. Mining is unpredictable. You don’t earn success through size—you earn it through resilience, skill, and how well you handle adversity. That’s what we’ve built Tanka on.
Prime Insights: What advice would you give aspiring mining and allied industry entrepreneurs?
Know your domain. Focus on solving core bottlenecks. Be visible on-site, not just online. And remember—mining isn’t about gold or lithium alone—it’s about the people and processes that extract value from the earth, ethically and sustainably.
