IIT Madras has partnered with Coal India Limited (CIL) to establish a Centre for Sustainable Energy, aimed at accelerating India’s shift towards a low-carbon and sustainable energy future.

The centre will operate as one of IIT Madras’s Centres of Excellence, focusing on research, innovation, and technology development for sustainable energy solutions.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the collaboration was signed in Chennai on Wednesday by V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, and P M Prasad, Chairman of Coal India Limited.

Prasad said that Coal India is evolving 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 Coal India’s journey toward sustainable growth. Through this collaboration with IIT Madras, we aim to develop indigenous solutions that ensure energy security, decarbonisation, and socioeconomic progress,” he stated.

The Centre’s research areas will include sustainable materials and circular economy, mine repurposing and fleet electrification, environmental remediation and pollution control, and energy storage materials derived from coal.

The initiative will be led by Satyanarayanan Seshadri, Head of The Energy Consortium, and Rajnish Kumar, Head of The School of Sustainability at IIT Madras.

Other projects under the centre will explore photocatalytic pollutant removal from coal mine wastewater and the development of coal-derived materials for advanced electrodes and membranes, supporting India’s path to a cleaner and more resilient energy ecosystem.