India must become more energy-efficient for sustainable growth: IIT-Jodhpur director
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Nagpur: By increasing the share of renewables, electrifying end-use sectors, and utilizing biomass-enabled carbon capture, India could potentially save 36.9 GW of energy demand, said Avinash Kumar Agarwal, director of IIT-Jodhpur, on Tuesday.
Agarwal, who was delivering the keynote address at the 'Energy Dialogues: Clean. Viable. Inclusive' workshop organized by CSIR-Neeri, stressed India must become more energy-efficient to ensure sustainable growth. G Sridhar, director general, SSS-NIBE, Kapurthala, and Thallada Bhaskar, director, CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal, were the guests of honour.
"Energy consumption is directly tied to economic growth," Agrawal said, noting that India's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are low.
Referring to India's Panchamrit goals, he said, "While we are aiming for 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, India's high coal consumption (400 million tonnes/year) necessitates the development of efficient coal technologies, including exploring high-ash coal and hydrogen (blue to green), for future energy solutions.
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He urged scientists to focus on the development of green fuels compatible with IC engines to facilitate a more inclusive and sustainable energy transition.
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Neeri director S Venkata Mohan stressed energy access is a fundamental right. Neeri chief scientist Nitin Labhsetwar said, "India must chart its own low-emission growth path, rather than blindly emulating Western models."
Later, Agarwal chaired a session moderated by Labhsetwar, which brought together leading scientists and innovators committed to tackling climate change with home-grown solutions. The central theme of the discussion was how Neeri is gearing up to take sustainability to the next level with several ambitious initiatives.
The institute is focusing heavily on scaling up carbon capture technologies that can reduce industrial emissions effectively, alongside developing integrated solar-biomass hybrid energy systems designed to maximise clean power generation even in rural areas.
The panellists made it clear that these projects are not just lab experiments but are being designed for real-world impact solutions that will reach communities, industries and policymakers alike.
Amit Bansiwal, chief scientist at Neeri, spoke passionately about the institute's roadmap to embed sustainability across every stage of a product's life cycle, ensuring environmental responsibility is built into development from the ground up.
Avneesh Anshul, principal scientist at Neeri, emphasised Neeri's commitment to making clean technologies accessible and practical for India's diverse population, highlighting collaborations with industry partners to bring innovations from pilot stages to large-scale adoption.
S Venkata Mohan outlined plans to strengthen grass roots innovation, encouraging local solutions that align with national sustainability goals.
The event concluded on an optimistic note, reinforced by LITU VC Atul Vaidya's call for a science-driven future that balances innovation with social and environmental needs.
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