ENERGY CONSORTIUM
Accelerating Net Zero
CARBONLITE CHRONICLES:
QUARTERLY UPDATE FROM THE ENERGY CONSORTIUM
October 2025
THE ROAD AHEAD
A Message From The CEO
Dear Energy Enthusiasts,
Welcome to our Oct edition of Carbon Lite Chronicles!
This past quarter has marked new beginnings. The Energy Consortium’s first two founding members, Baker Hughes and Shell, have both renewed their commitment to continue the membership for another three years and contribute towards the global industry-academia-government collaborative effort that has been so beautifully shaped so far. This is an ultimate endorsement for the joint work ongoing in accelerating net zero and emboldens the vision we have crafted.
It was also a quarter to onboard two global majors in the energy transition arena, Caterpillar and British Petroleum, who now join the Energy Consortium as Core members. This is an extremely exciting development, and we look forward to working closely with the faculty team and other industry members on guiding and directing research, technology, and innovation efforts.
During the Industry Day meet in June, The Energy Consortium rolled out a new strategic plan that will be in force for the next three years, and there are quite a few exciting engagements that we look forward to. I envisage many more bilateral industry engagements in the coming couple of quarters for us. The core focus will be scaled increasingly towards electrification, and the participation, engagement, and incubation of start-ups is also going to play a central role.
Stay tuned!
Warm regards,
Nikhil Tambe
CEO,
Energy Consortium, IIT Madras
POWERING CONVERSATIONS
Strengthening Indo-Danish Energy Ties: IIT Madras Hosts Indian Ambassador to Denmark
The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras was honoured to host Shri Manish Prabhat, Ambassador of India to Denmark, for a special campus engagement celebrating the Indo-Danish energy partnership.
The visit highlighted The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras’ active collaborations with Danish academia, industry, and government bodies, including joint research under the Indo-Denmark Energy Partnership. Prof. Shanti Swarup, a recent award recipient, represented these efforts.
Key focus areas include marine spatial planning, offshore wind, and green ports, with ongoing work in collaboration with the Danish Energy Agency and Energy Cluster Denmark. As an advisory member of Innovation Centre Denmark, Bangalore, The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras plays a strategic role in shaping bilateral energy transition agendas.
The Ambassador was introduced to select research pilots, student-led innovations, and the legacy of IIT Madras, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to global energy innovation.
Indo-Nordic Forum on Green Transition: Energy Consortium, IIT Madras Showcases India’s Green Transition at TechBBQ
As part of the TechBBQ summit, The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras participated in “India’s Large-Scale Green Transition – A Forum for Nordic and Indian Investors, Innovators, and Ecosystem Builders to Explore Synergies for Impact & Scale’ which brought together leading voices from India and the Nordics to explore collaborative opportunities in clean energy innovation.
The forum featured Gunjan Kapadia (Sthyr Energy), Nikhil Tambe (CEO, The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras), Anders Thorsen (SVP, New Energy Team, NIFO), Peter Jannik Sjontoft (Partner, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners), Dewi Dylander (CEO, EAC Foundation and Asia House), and Tejs Laustsen Jensen (Director, Hydrogen Denmark). Kunal Singla and Samir Stewart moderated the session.
The forum reaffirmed the role of IIT Madras as a catalyst for global clean energy innovation and strengthened the path for Indo-Nordic energy partnerships.
Workshop on ‘Green Ports in India’ Highlights Pathways to Maritime Sustainability
As part of Industry Day, The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras hosted the workshop “Green Ports in India: A Stakeholder Dialogue on Pathways to Sustainable Maritime Infrastructure.” The session convened experts across sectors to explore India’s maritime decarbonization journey and the strategic role of ports in achieving net-zero by 2070.
The outcome document captures key insights and a collective call to action, highlighting pathways to transform Indian ports into sustainable, efficient, and globally competitive green hubs. Discussions emphasized the interdependence of green ports and green shipping, the need for green shipping corridors, and alternative fuels like hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol. Stakeholders also highlighted challenges, including fuel costs, bunkering infrastructure, and the absence of a unified national definition of a “green port.”
The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras remains committed to facilitating multi-stakeholder engagement and advancing integrated strategies across policy, finance, and technology to support India’s maritime sustainability goals.
Accelerating India’s Green Hydrogen Transition
On the occasion of Industry Day, The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras, with Xynteo, Technip Energies, and Rely, hosted a Workshop: ‘Accelerating Green Hydrogen: Unlocking India’s Technological Prowess’ to explore pathways for scaling Indian hydrogen technologies. Participants included government representatives (MNRE), industry leaders (Adani, Shell, Baker Hughes, Chevron, Jakson Green), finance players, and IIT Madras researchers.
The workshop highlighted key challenges: limited access to financing, demonstration infrastructure, regulatory clarity, ecosystem coordination, and industrial competitiveness.
A major recommendation was to establish a government-anchored, multi-stakeholder platform, housed within the IIT Madras Hydrogen Consortium, with advisory support from Energy Leap, to:
- Aggregate demand and secure industrial offtake
- Provide milestone-based and blended financing
- Fast-track approvals and certification
- Offer shared testbeds and pilot facilities
- Enable knowledge-sharing and tech transfer
By bridging the gap between innovation and adoption, this platform aims to accelerate India’s green hydrogen ambitions, strengthen domestic capabilities, and position the country as a global leader in sustainable energy technologies.
ENERGY BRIEFS
Watt’s Next! – Emerging Energy Research at Industry Day 2025
At this year’s Industry Day, the Energy Consortium, IIT Madras hosted Watt’s Next! —a dynamic showcase of cutting-edge PhD research in energy and sustainability. Selected from a highly competitive pool, four finalists delivered concise 5-minute presentations to an audience of industry leaders, faculty, and peers.
| Finalists & Topics | Recognition Highlights |
|---|---|
| Chloride-rich reclaimed coal ashes as supplementary cementitious material | Jury Special Mention |
| Finalists & Topics | Recognition Highlights |
|---|---|
| Microwave Processing of Biomass and Plastic Waste into Value-added Chemicals and Fuels | Jury Award – Outstanding Accomplishment |
| Finalists & Topics | Recognition Highlights |
|---|---|
| Microbial Manufacturing for a Circular Economy | Peer Award – Outstanding Accomplishment |
| Finalists & Topics | Recognition Highlights |
|---|---|
| Catalyst Engineering for Solar-Driven CO₂ Conversion | Peer Special Mention |
We thank jury members Rahul Wagh (Baker Hughes), Vikrant Urade (Shell), and Ram Narayanan (Aditya Birla Group) for their thoughtful evaluation.
The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras is proud to support platforms that spark dialogue, showcase innovation, and connect emerging scholars with industry.
Colloquium by Dr. Cathy Tway (British Petroleum): Rethinking Catalysis for a Sustainable Future
The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras was delighted to host a delegation from bp (British Petroleum), including Dr. Cathy Tway, Chief Chemist and Vice President for University Partnerships; Dushyant Sharma, Technology Head; and Dr. Mandar Thakare, Associate Director, bp International Centre for Advanced Materials (ICAM).
As part of the visit, the Department of Chemical Engineering organised a colloquium by Dr. Cathy Tway on “Is Catalysis Reaching Its Transition State?” Her thought-provoking insights reminded us that sustainable catalysis is not solely about greener raw materials but demands system-level thinking, responsible innovation, and long-term environmental accountability.
At The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras, we continue to create platforms for such conversations that shape the future of energy, chemistry, and materials science.
EDUCATION
Summer Internship Program 2025
The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras, successfully concluded its Summer Internship Program 2025, offering students hands-on experience in cutting-edge energy research, undertaking goal-oriented mini-projects under expert mentorship, and developing a deeper understanding of the energy value chain—from generation and storage to distribution and sustainability.
Interns explored themes of high relevance, including:
Recycling Strategies for End-of-Life Lithium-Ion Batteries
Designing Resilient & Smart Grids
Exploring Sector-Specific Sustainability Challenges
We extend our congratulations to our interns for their dedication and impact—we look forward to their continued journey as future clean energy leaders.
Summer Internship Program Commences at The Energy Consortium - IIT Madras
The 2024 Summer Internship Program at The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras, has commenced with enthusiastic participation from students across various academic disciplines. Running from May 22nd to July 21st, the program offers participants the opportunity to delve into cutting-edge energy research through goal-oriented mini-projects supervised by industry experts. Focused on advancing knowledge in energy generation, storage, and distribution, the internship aims to cultivate practical skills and foster innovation among talented young minds.
We anticipate that this program will serve as a launching pad for future breakthroughs in the energy sector. Stay tuned for updates on the program’s progress and achievements in upcoming newsletters.
WORKSHOP
From Vision to Action: India Accelerates Green Hydrogen R&D
The 1st Annual Green Hydrogen R&D Conference was held on 11–12 September 2025 in New Delhi, inaugurated by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Shri Pralhad Joshi. The event marked a major milestone in India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) with the launch of a ₹100 crore Call for Proposals to support hydrogen start-ups, offering up to ₹5 crore per project in hydrogen production, storage, transport, and utilisation.
The Energy Consortium was an invited participant and Nikhil Tambe participated in the roundtable discussion on ‘Testing Infrastructure to Support Green Hydrogen R&D in India’ and presented our viewpoint that the infrastructure has to allow anyone to come in and do a plug-and-play operation. Otherwise, every new technology requires a fresh setup, which isn’t really conducive and is also not the best use of public or private money because we end up duplicating efforts. We have focused on TRL 5 to 7, using industry funding, and are more and more interested in doing duty cycle testing. Also, because of that, we can instrument, use physics-based models and now do a digital approach where we can build digital twins within the university and also open it up to whoever wants to use this.
At The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras, we are excited to see how this R&D push will catalyse collaboration between academia, industry, and start-ups — driving the next wave of clean energy innovation.
CLIMAFIX 2025: India’s Largest Climate Startup Summit
The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras, in partnership with Energy Alternatives India (EAI) and TiE Chennai, successfully hosted CLIMAFIX 2025 on 11–12 September at the IIT Madras Research Park, Chennai. The summit brought together over 400 climate startups, 150 investors, and 250 senior corporate professionals, providing a vibrant platform for collaboration and innovation in India’s climate ecosystem.
Over two days, participants explored key themes including bio-solutions, energy efficiency and AI, deep tech, and translational research. The program featured founder stories, expert insights, industry and investor perspectives, and curated startup pitches, highlighting real-world climate innovations. Special sessions introduced climate experts and showcased additional startups, ensuring broad visibility and networking opportunities.
CLIMAFIX 2025 reinforced its role as a catalyst for climate innovation, connecting startups, investors, and industry leaders to accelerate India’s sustainable transition.
Accelerating Green Hydrogen: The Energy Consortium-IIT Madras Hosts Key Workshop with Xynteo and Technip Energies
On June 25, Xynteo’s Energy Leap and The Energy Consortium – IIT Madras co-hosted a pivotal workshop, “Accelerating Green Hydrogen: Unlocking India’s Technological Prowess,” at IIT Madras. Exclusively sponsored by Technip Energies and Rely, this event united leaders from industry, government, academia, and startups to forge a clear path for India’s green hydrogen ecosystem.
The keynote by Dr. Sujit Pillai (MNRE) underscored the urgent need to indigenise electrolyser manufacturing and strengthen domestic supply chains. Subsequent roundtables, featuring experts like Atul Verma, Bhaskar Bose, Anuradda Ganesh, and Santosh K Gurunath from industry, alongside startup founders Alok Kumar, Supriya Patwardhan, and Ajeet Babu Parasumanna, delved into critical challenges spanning scaling, commercialization, policy, funding gaps, and market access. The workshop concluded with a collaborative session, defining actionable steps to accelerate green hydrogen adoption.
This successful initiative marks a significant evolution of our existing engagements with Xynteo and Technip Energies, establishing a unified platform for sustained collaboration and driving India’s green hydrogen journey forward.
Stakeholder roundtable on Green Ports: Pathways to Sustainable Maritime Infrastructure
Traditional port operations are often resource-intensive, contributing to emissions, inefficiencies, and ecological impact. In response, the concept of Green Ports has emerged—ports designed to minimize environmental impact while enabling sustainable economic development.
The Energy Consortium, as outlined in its 2024 annual report, has made a conscious decision towards sustainable infrastructure development and essentially is looking at a broader set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) beyond just Clean and Affordable Energy (SDG7). A stakeholder dialogue on pathways to sustainable maritime infrastructure was organized on the sidelines of the industry day 2025 with the aim of fostering a shared understanding of current initiatives, to uncover key opportunities and challenges, and to catalyze cross-sectoral partnerships to accelerate India’s green port transition.
The roundtable jointly conducted with the Office of Alumni & Corporate Relations was presided over by Shri. T.K. Ramachandran, IAS, the Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India, Shri Sunil Paliwal, IAS, Chairperson, Chennai Port Authority, Eske Bo Rosenberg, Consul General Denmark in India (Bangalore) and Head – Trade and Innovation, and Prof Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean – ACR, IIT Madras, highlighting its strategic relevance.
Expected outcomes
- Mapping of key challenges and enabling factors for green port development
- Identification of short- and medium-term opportunities for collaboration across stakeholders
- Launch of a dialogue series or working group hosted by IIT Madras on green maritime infrastructure
- A brief outcome document capturing key insights and proposed action points, shared with relevant ministries and port trusts
SPECIAL MENTION
The Energy Consortium-IIT Madras Faculty Drives Green Hydrogen Innovation in Key Indo-Danish Project
We’re pleased to announce a major achievement for The Energy Consortium- IIT Madras and our affiliated faculty! Prof. Shanti Swarup has been selected for a pivotal Green Hydrogen Research Project under the 2024 Indo-Danish bilateral research call. This initiative, part of the strategic Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark, aims to accelerate the deployment of cutting-edge hydrogen technologies.
Out of 15 joint proposals, Prof. Swarup, in collaboration with Prof. Kaushik Das of DTU – Technical University of Denmark, will be a core part of the “Strategic Green Hydrogen Integration Towards Energy Transition and Localisation Demand to Deployment (SHIELD)” project. This significant effort is focused on converting renewable electricity into green fuels for clean transport and a decarbonized industry.
This selection highlights our commitment to leading advanced energy research and our crucial role in fostering international collaboration for a sustainable future.
Wind Energy Research Gets a Boost: New Centre Focuses on Wind Power Innovation
The Energy Consortium – IIT Madras fosters collaboration across all energy-related disciplines. Our expertise spans carbon capture, renewable energy integration, green hydrogen production, next-generation energy storage, distributed energy management for microgrids etc.
The Jaisri and Venkat Rangan Wind Energy CoRE, led by Prof. Chandramouli Padmanabhan is poised to revolutionize wind energy. This new centre tackles the full spectrum of wind power, from rooftop turbines bringing clean energy to remote locations to large-scale offshore wind farms. The CoRE’s focus includes both onshore and offshore wind energy, to develop cutting-edge technologies that maximize energy generation and minimize environmental impact.
Wind energy is a critical sector in the global pursuit of net zero emissions. The Jaisri and Venkat Rangan Wind Energy CoRE is committed to developing innovative solutions that propel us towards a sustainable future.
As per the charter of the consortium, a fair portion of the industry membership funding is intended for exploratory and collaborative research that enables the Energy Consortium to become one of the key technology hubs. The Technology Research ENgineering and Development setter (TRENDSetter) program was established to identify areas aligned with the long-range research initiatives of the industry and to build capability within the consortium. In its 3rd year of grant awards the TRENDSetter continues to have the Track 2 that recognizes promising high potential novel ideas from early career research faculty, but we intend to fine tune the Track 1 grant so that our objective 1) will be to fund proposals that are directly related to the core activities of the energy consortium and 2) those involving development of larger-scale pilots, containerized or modularized for demonstration of scale-up technology. For 2025, a newer area in Alternate Fuels that can, similar to the Carbon Capture Container, attract follow-on funding from government agencies and industry partners is been considered.
We are pleased to announce the following awardees for 2025
Track 1 – Pilot Demonstrators:
Prof. Varunkumar S, Mechanical Engineering
Track 2 – Early Career Faculty:
Prof. T. Palaniselvam, Chemistry
Prof. Sagar Sourav, Chemical Engineering
Prof. Richa Karmakar, Biotechnology
NEWS
Powering Renewables: IIT Madras Advances Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
IIT Madras has inaugurated a cutting-edge Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) technology, marking a key milestone in India’s pursuit of sustainable and reliable energy solutions. Developed in partnership with High Energy Batteries (India) Ltd. and supported by OECT (ONGC Energy Centre Trust), this innovation blends academic research with industrial expertise and institutional backing.
The technology is based on patents by Prof. Kothandaraman Ramanujam and his student team from the Department of Chemistry, working under The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras. Their work paves the way for scalable, efficient, and durable energy storage systems essential for renewable energy integration.
This achievement underscores IIT Madras’ commitment to advancing cutting-edge energy technologies while strengthening industry-academia collaboration.
The Energy Consortium - IIT Madras Mentored Startups Win HDFC Parivartan Grant for Clean Tech Innovation
We are delighted to announce and celebrate the outstanding winners of the Parivartan Startup Grants 2025–2026, awarded by HDFC Bank to support high-impact startups working at the intersection of clean technology, climate resilience, and the circular economy.
These visionary entrepreneurs are developing innovative, scalable solutions that are shaping a cleaner, more resilient, and equitable future. Among the winners is a promising startup mentored by The Energy Consortium – IIT Madras, reflecting our continued commitment to fostering sustainability-driven innovation.
This year’s grant recipients include Wankel Energy Systems, EarthFokus, Inventive Scientific Minds LLP, TRIGeN Decarbonisation, Satiq Concrete Manufacturer Pvt. Ltd., JSP Enviro Private Limited, CeraTattva InnoTech, and XYMA Analytics.
These startups exemplify the power of purpose-led innovation in addressing some of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time. The Energy Consortium congratulates all the winners and looks forward to supporting their ongoing journeys toward lasting impact.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Driving Net-Zero: Caterpillar Inc. Partners with the Energy Consortium, IIT Madras to Accelerate Energy Innovation
The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras is pleased to welcome Caterpillar Inc. as a core member for the next three years. Dr. Prashanth Ravi, Engineering Manager, Electrification + Energy Solutions (E+ES), will represent Caterpillar on the Industry Advisory Board, collaborating with faculty and industry members to guide research, technology, and innovation toward accelerating net-zero goals.
Senior leaders from Caterpillar, including Brian Dershem (VP, Engineering, E+ES) and Adam Kilbon (Chief Engineer, Electric Power Division), joined faculty members Prof. Manu Santhanam, Nikhil Tambe, and Prof. Satyanarayanan Seshadri to formalise the partnership. The collaboration aims to advance the consortium’s technology stack across key areas of joint interest in energy generation, storage, conversion, and distribution.
In a brief ceremony on Sep 25, senior leaders Brian Dershem, Vice President of Engineering, E+ES and Adam Kilbon, Chief Engineer, Electric Power Division from Caterpillar, along with Prof Manu Santhanam, Dr. Nikhil Tambe, and Prof Satyanarayanan Seshadri, exchanged agreements that will see Caterpillar and The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras build further onto the technology stack in various areas of joint interest.
Strengthening Industry Collaboration: Shell and Baker Hughes Extend Strategic Partnership with The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras
The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras is delighted to announce that Shell India will continue as a founding member for the next three years. Vikrant Urade, Principal Researcher at Shell Technology Center Bangalore, will serve on the Industry Advisory Board, working closely with Faculty Head Satyanarayanan Seshadri and CEO Nikhil Tambe. As the Consortium’s first founding member, Shell has been pivotal in driving cutting-edge research and technology development through the Shell IIT Madras Center for Energy Research (SICER). We extend our thanks to Ajay Mehta and Amit Walia for their ongoing support.
The Energy Consortium – IIT Madras had the pleasure of hosting Ian Derbyshire, Director of Research & Technology, Ashok Rodagi, Head – Energy Tech Centre India, and Rahul Wagh, Sr. Engineering & Technology Manager, Innovation and Research from Baker Hughes. The discussions highlighted The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras’ progress, and explored multiple areas of ongoing joint interest. As a founding member, Baker Hughes has been instrumental in advancing research and technology development in the energy transition space. We are delighted to announce the continuation of Baker Hughes as a founding member for the next three years, with Rahul Wagh joining the Industry Advisory Board to work closely with Faculty Head Satyanarayanan Seshadri and CEO Nikhil Tambe.
bp Strengthens Industry-Academia Ties with The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras
bp has joined The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras, as a core member for the next three years, collaborating with faculty and industry members to guide research, technology, and innovation efforts supporting the energy transition.
Senior leaders Mahesh Natarajan (SVP – Fuels and Low Carbon Technology) and Dushyant Sharma (Technology Manager) visited the IIT Madras campus to formalise the partnership, which will enhance the technology stack and explore key areas of joint interest.
This collaboration marks a significant step in advancing low-carbon technologies and accelerating India’s energy transition through strategic industry-academia partnerships.
Strengthening Industry Collaboration: Shell and Baker Hughes Extend Strategic Partnership with The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras
The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras is delighted to announce that Shell India will continue as a founding member for the next three years. Vikrant Urade, Principal Researcher at Shell Technology Center Bangalore, will serve on the Industry Advisory Board, working closely with Faculty Head Satyanarayanan Seshadri and CEO Nikhil Tambe. As the Consortium’s first founding member, Shell has been pivotal in driving cutting-edge research and technology development through the Shell IIT Madras Center for Energy Research (SICER). We extend our thanks to Ajay Mehta and Amit Walia for their ongoing support.
The Energy Consortium – IIT Madras had the pleasure of hosting Ian Derbyshire, Director of Research & Technology, Ashok Rodagi, Head – Energy Tech Centre India, and Rahul Wagh, Sr. Engineering & Technology Manager, Innovation and Research from Baker Hughes. The discussions highlighted The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras’ progress, and explored multiple areas of ongoing joint interest. As a founding member, Baker Hughes has been instrumental in advancing research and technology development in the energy transition space. We are delighted to announce the continuation of Baker Hughes as a founding member for the next three years, with Rahul Wagh joining the Industry Advisory Board to work closely with Faculty Head Satyanarayanan Seshadri and CEO Nikhil Tambe.
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