Latest news with #SVenkataMohan
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Neeri's giant leap with Global South Network for eco sustainability
Nagpur: The CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) is set to establish a Global South Network to collaborate with institutes across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Middle East on environmental sustainability. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A key focus of this initiative is to address critical challenges affecting these regions. In an exclusive interview with TOI on Wednesday, CSIR-NEERI director Dr S Venkata Mohan, an Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellow, emphasized the network's goal of tackling region-specific environmental issues. "The Global South faces unique challenges, and this platform will amplify our voice to address them collaboratively," he said. The network aims to create a charter, facilitating annual engagements across member countries to develop tailored solutions. "India represents a significant population, and our contributions will carry substantial weight globally," Dr Venkata Mohan added. NEERI also hosts a regional centre for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), in partnership with the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC). The Stockholm Convention targets chemicals that persist in the environment, spread globally, and accumulate in fatty tissues, posing risks to human health and ecosystems. "We are developing methods to monitor and phase out particulate organic carbon (POC) and other POPs," Dr Venkata Mohan said, highlighting NEERI's role as a recognized regional centre. The Global South Network, an independent initiative, will strengthen NEERI's leadership in environmental research, fostering sustainable development across member nations. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Also, CSIR-NEERI is in discussion to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in collaboration with IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute to advance water and wastewater treatment and energy recovery technologies. "A recent Sweden delegation formalized to drive Indo-Swedish sustainability goals," he said. The CoE, to be established at NEERI's Nagpur campus, will serve as a hub for innovative water management solutions, aligning with global circular economy practices. Last year, the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova commissioned IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute to conduct a pre-feasibility study for establishing a Sweden-India Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Sustainable Cities. The study was led by Rupali Deshmukh (Karangale), a native of Nagpur now based in Sweden, who serves as Country Manager for India and CEO of IVL India. IVL has now been tasked with hammering out a detailed feasibility study focusing on water, wastewater, sludge, and energy.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
India must become more energy-efficient for sustainable growth: IIT-Jodhpur director
1 2 Nagpur: By increasing the share of renewables, electrifying end-use sectors, and utilizing biomass-enabled carbon capture, India could potentially save 36.9 GW of energy demand, said Avinash Kumar Agarwal, director of IIT-Jodhpur, on Tuesday. Agarwal, who was delivering the keynote address at the 'Energy Dialogues: Clean. Viable. Inclusive' workshop organized by CSIR-Neeri, stressed India must become more energy-efficient to ensure sustainable growth. G Sridhar, director general, SSS-NIBE, Kapurthala, and Thallada Bhaskar, director, CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal, were the guests of honour. "Energy consumption is directly tied to economic growth," Agrawal said, noting that India's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are low. Referring to India's Panchamrit goals, he said, "While we are aiming for 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, India's high coal consumption (400 million tonnes/year) necessitates the development of efficient coal technologies, including exploring high-ash coal and hydrogen (blue to green), for future energy solutions. " He urged scientists to focus on the development of green fuels compatible with IC engines to facilitate a more inclusive and sustainable energy transition. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Adidas Three Shorts With 60% Discount, Limited Stock Available Original Adidas Shop Now Undo Neeri director S Venkata Mohan stressed energy access is a fundamental right. Neeri chief scientist Nitin Labhsetwar said, "India must chart its own low-emission growth path, rather than blindly emulating Western models." Later, Agarwal chaired a session moderated by Labhsetwar, which brought together leading scientists and innovators committed to tackling climate change with home-grown solutions. The central theme of the discussion was how Neeri is gearing up to take sustainability to the next level with several ambitious initiatives. The institute is focusing heavily on scaling up carbon capture technologies that can reduce industrial emissions effectively, alongside developing integrated solar-biomass hybrid energy systems designed to maximise clean power generation even in rural areas. The panellists made it clear that these projects are not just lab experiments but are being designed for real-world impact solutions that will reach communities, industries and policymakers alike. Amit Bansiwal, chief scientist at Neeri, spoke passionately about the institute's roadmap to embed sustainability across every stage of a product's life cycle, ensuring environmental responsibility is built into development from the ground up. Avneesh Anshul, principal scientist at Neeri, emphasised Neeri's commitment to making clean technologies accessible and practical for India's diverse population, highlighting collaborations with industry partners to bring innovations from pilot stages to large-scale adoption. S Venkata Mohan outlined plans to strengthen grass roots innovation, encouraging local solutions that align with national sustainability goals. The event concluded on an optimistic note, reinforced by LITU VC Atul Vaidya's call for a science-driven future that balances innovation with social and environmental needs.
