Hyderabad: The Confederation of Indian Industry’s Green Business Centre (CII-GBC) is strengthening the bridge between academia and industry through its National Platform for Industry-Academia Collaboration for Research and Innovation in Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, with the initiative taking centre stage at the 25th CII Energy Efficiency Summit 2026 being held at HICC, Hyderabad.
The Academic Paper Presentation Session on “Low Carbon Technologies and Energy Efficiency”, brought together researchers, scholars, faculty members, students and industry professionals to showcase research and explore pathways for translating academic ideas into practical, scalable solutions. More than 40 submissions from researchers and scholars across India were received for the paper presentation track. Following a structured evaluation, 18 abstracts were shortlisted for presentation, giving researchers an opportunity to place their work before industry leaders, technology providers and sustainability practitioners participating in the Summit. The research areas included industrial decarbonization, renewable energy & biofuels, cement, concrete, built environment, materials for circular economy and AI for industry & sustainability.
Mr. K S Venkatagiri, Executive Director, CII-Green Business Centre, said: “The real value of research is created when an idea moves beyond the paper and begins solving a problem on the ground. This platform is designed to create that journey—from the laboratory to the pilot, and from the pilot to scale. By bringing researchers face-to-face with industry, we are creating an environment where academic excellence meets real-world experience, where industry challenges can inspire new research, and where promising technologies can find pathways to adoption. Our ambition is to build a sustained national ecosystem in which knowledge, innovation and industry action reinforce each other to accelerate India’s energy transition. Such platforms play a crucial role in recognising emerging ideas and enabling researchers to translate knowledge and research into practical, scalable solutions that create value for industry, society and the nation.”
The initiative comes at a time when India’s transition towards energy efficiency, sustainability and decarbonisation requires more than incremental improvements. New technologies, materials, processes, business models and approaches are increasingly needed across sectors. Against this backdrop, the Academic Paper Presentation initiative under 25th CII Energy Efficiency Summit, provides researchers and students with more than a forum to present their work. It creates an opportunity to receive feedback from experts, understand industry perspectives and assess the relevance and practical applicability of their research to real-world challenges and opportunities. For industry participants, the session offers a window into emerging technologies, ideas and talent that could shape the next generation of sustainable industry, while creating potential pathways for research collaboration, technology pilots, internships, project engagements and partnerships.
The shortlisted papers were evaluated by a multidisciplinary jury comprising Prof. Jyotirmay Mathur, BIS Chair Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, Centre for Energy and Environment, MNIT Jaipur, and Chair of the Jury; Prof. Morapakala Srinivas, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, BITS Pilani – Hyderabad Campus; and Prof. Vijaya Lakshmi Thatiparthi, Professor, Department of Environmental Science & Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH).
Over the longer term, CII-GBC envisions the initiative as a national ecosystem connecting educational institutions, industries, technology experts, researchers, innovators and sustainability practitioners. The initiative also creates opportunities for research findings and emerging technologies to move towards wider adoption by facilitating interaction between knowledge creators and industry stakeholders. Through networking, research proceedings, expert discussions, recognition and potential collaborative engagements, the platform seeks to create stronger pathways from research to implementation and from innovation to impact.