Conclave puts focus on renewable and sustainable energy
Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-Energy (SSS-NIBE), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, organised the Industry-Academia Bio-energy Innovation Conclave at its campus in Kapurthala. The conclave served as a strategic platform bringing together industry leaders, technology developers, academicians, researchers, policymakers and stakeholders to deliberate on innovations, deployment challenges, commercialisation pathways and policy support mechanisms in the bio-energy sector.
The conclave was inaugurated by Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, MNRE, in the presence of Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, Dr Sangita M Kasture, Director General, SSS-NIBE and Adviser MNRE, and senior officials from MNRE and other government organisations.
Addressing the gathering, the Secretary, MNRE, highlighted the critical role of bio-energy in meeting India's rapidly growing energy demand and emphasised the ministry's strong support for the sector. He mentioned that the National Bio-energy Programme, extended with enhanced financial outlay until 2026, reflects the government's commitment to accelerating sustainable energy growth and bio-energy commercialisation. He stressed the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, industry-academia partnerships, and scientific innovation in advancing sustainable bio-based solutions and appreciated SSS-NIBE's contributions to R&D in biomass and bio-fuel technologies aligned with India's renewable energy and net-zero goals.
On the occasion, the Secretary, MNRE, also launched the Jaiv Urja Mitra Programme, a national skill-development initiative of MNRE being implemented by SSS-NIBE. The programme aims to empower youth and entrepreneurs for India's bio-energy mission by creating skilled manpower and strengthening the bio-energy value chain.
Welcoming the dignitaries and participants, Dr Sangita M Kasture, Director General, SSS-NIBE, highlighted the significance of bio-energy in enhancing energy security, rural livelihoods and the circular economy. She outlined the institute's ongoing research and development activities in areas such as compressed biogas (CBG), biomass pellets and briquettes, biomass power, green hydrogen, biomass torrefaction, 2G ethanol, improved biomass cooking stoves, algal bio-refinery, biomass resource assessment and value-added bio-products. She also emphasised SSS-NIBE's role in capacity-building, skill development and its emergence as a reputed NABL-accredited testing centre in the bio-energy sector. The institute plays a pivotal role in developing and demonstrating sustainable biomass-based solutions to support India's transition towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and Net Zero commitments.
In her address, Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, underscored the importance of bio-energy in achieving India's renewable energy and climate change targets. She highlighted TERI's research and translational activities in the bio-energy domain aimed at societal impact.
The conclave witnessed participation from over 70 delegates representing academia, industry, government departments and research organisations. The event featured interactive panel discussions on key thematic areas including CBG and feedstock, biomass-to-power and pre-treatment, bio-refinery and advanced bio-fuels. These sessions provided valuable insights into technology gaps, policy frameworks, financing mechanisms and innovative strategies for scaling bio-energy adoption in India.
The conclave successfully fostered dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders, strengthened industry-academia linkages and reinforced pathways toward a sustainable, resilient and bio-based economy. It highlighted India's growing bio-energy innovation ecosystem and the critical role of coordinated action across research, industry and policy domains in driving sustainable energy solutions.
