Jalandhar: 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, organized the Industry-Academia Bio-Energy Innovation Conclave at its campus in Kapurthala. The conclave served as a strategic platform that brought together industry leaders, technology developers, academics, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss innovation, deployment challenges, commercialization pathways, and policy support mechanisms in the bio-energy sector. The conclave was inaugurated by Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, MNRE. Present on the occasion were Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI; Dr. Sangeeta M. Kasture, Director General, SSS-NIBE and Advisor, MNRE; and senior officials from MNRE and other government organizations. Addressing the gathering, the MNRE Secretary emphasized the vital role of bioenergy in meeting India’s rapidly growing energy demand and underlined the Ministry’s strong support for the sector. He explained that the National Bioenergy Program, which has been extended with increased financial outlay until 2026, reflects the government’s commitment to accelerating sustainable energy growth and bioenergy commercialization.
He emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, industry-academia partnerships, and scientific innovation in advancing sustainable bio-based solutions and praised SSS-NIBE’s contribution to R&D in biomass and biofuel technologies, in line with India’s renewable energy and net-zero goals. On this occasion, the MNRE Secretary also launched the Bioenergy Mitra program, a national skill-development initiative of MNRE, implemented by SSS-NIBE. The program aims to empower youth and entrepreneurs to support India’s bioenergy mission by creating skilled manpower and strengthening the bioenergy value chain. Welcoming the dignitaries and participants, Dr. Sangeeta M. Kasture, Director General, SSS-NIBE, emphasized the importance of bioenergy in enhancing energy security, rural livelihoods, and the circular economy. She highlighted 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 biorefinery, biomass resource assessment, and value-added bioproducts. She also emphasized SSS-NIBE’s role in capacity-building, skill development, and its emergence as a renowned NABL-accredited testing center in the bioenergy sector. The Institute plays a key 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 of TERI, emphasized the importance of bioenergy in achieving India’s renewable energy and climate change targets. She highlighted TERI’s research and translational activities in the bioenergy domain, which aim to impact society. The conclave was attended by over 70 delegates from academia, industry, government departments, and research organizations. The event featured interactive panel discussions on specific thematic areas such as CBG and feedstock, biomass-to-power and pre-treatment, biorefinery, and advanced biofuels. These sessions provided valuable insights into technology gaps, policy frameworks, financing mechanisms, and innovative strategies to increase bioenergy adoption in India. The conclave successfully fostered dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders, strengthening industry-academia linkages and pathways towards a sustainable, resilient, and bio-based economy. It highlighted India’s growing bioenergy innovation ecosystem and the critical role of coordinated action across research, industry, and policy domains in advancing sustainable energy solutions.
Jalandhar: Conclave focuses on renewable and sustainable energy
