Coal India Limited (CIL) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to establish the Centre for Sustainable Energy at the IIT Madras campus. The MoU was signed by Shri Achyut Ghatak, Director (Technical), CIL, and Shri V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, in the presence of Shri P.M. Prasad, Chairman, CIL, along with senior officials from both organisations.

The new Centre will act as a hub for cutting-edge research, development, and capacity-building initiatives in sustainable energy technologies. Supported by CIL’s funding and aligned with its strategic diversification agenda, the Centre aims to develop solutions for repurposing coal mines, advancing low-carbon technologies, and reimagining coal as a valuable feedstock in India’s clean energy future.

This collaboration underscores a shared vision to strengthen India’s clean energy transition through indigenous research, innovation, and technology development in pursuit of the nation’s net-zero goals by 2070.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri P.M. Prasad, Chairman, CIL, said, “Coal India is transforming from being the nation’s energy provider to becoming a key enabler of India’s clean energy transition. This MoU marks a historic step in our journey toward sustainable growth. Through this partnership with IIT Madras, we aim to generate indigenous solutions that ensure energy security, decarbonisation, and socioeconomic progress.”

Shri V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, highlighted that industry–academia partnerships remain central to the institute’s mission of driving India’s transition to a low-carbon economy. “Our collaboration with Coal India epitomises IIT Madras’ commitment to developing scalable and impactful solutions that support India’s sustainable energy future,” he said.

Beyond technological innovation, the Centre will also play a vital role in nurturing human capital. It will offer PhD, postdoctoral, and internship programmes to train the next generation of researchers and engineers capable of leading India’s green energy transformation.