Organic Recycling Systems Ltd (ORSL), in collaboration with IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur, has secured a DBT–BIRAC research grant to build India’s first pilot-scale Bio-CCU platform. The initiative aims to demonstrate next-generation CO2 valorisation technologies capable of converting purified biogas CO2 into high-value products such as bio-alcohols, speciality chemicals, nutritional compounds and industrial additives. The project aligns with India’s BioE3 Policy for high-performance bio-manufacturing and marks the first time an Indian company has received this grant in the CCU domain.

At present, many compressed biogas plants flare or vent CO? due to limited utilisation options. ORSL’s technology proposes a commercially viable pathway to capture and transform this otherwise wasted CO?, creating new revenue streams and improving plant economics. The project titled “Integrating Biotechnological Interventions to Capture and Utilise CO? from Biogas via Algal Cultivation and Photocatalytic Conversion to Mixed Alcohols” will be implemented at ORSL’s Research Innovation Centre in Navi Mumbai.

Leadership from ORSL and partner institutions highlighted the significance of the initiative in advancing India’s carbon-circularity goals. The consortium aims to integrate algal engineering, MXene-based photocatalysis and advanced bioreactor systems to create a near-zero-emission biogas platform. The project is designed to accelerate the transition from proof-of-concept to commercially scalable CCU solutions for India’s expanding renewable-energy and waste-to-energy sectors.

The collaboration also acknowledged the support of the Department of Biotechnology and BIRAC leadership for enabling an ecosystem that fosters pioneering CCU and clean-technology innovations. The two-year project, with a total cost of Rs 18.717 million, positions ORSL and its academic partners to contribute meaningfully to India’s missions on net-zero emissions, circular carbon pathways, waste-to-wealth strategies and sustainable bio-manufacturing. As the first industry recipient under this grant framework, ORSL is expected to play a central role in developing indigenous CCU technologies that can be deployed across biogas plants nationwide.