Talk Title : Redefining the Future of Energy: Sustainable Pathways and Technological Innovations

Speaker - Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director IIT Roorkee

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Abstract of the talk

The global energy transition is accelerating to address climate change through innovative decarbonization and Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies. These efforts aim to establish renewable and circular carbon systems, transforming CO₂ into high-value materials and synthetic fuels to achieve a closed carbon loop. Simultaneously, the oil, gas, and mobility sectors are integrating electrification and AI-driven solutions—such as digital twin technologies—to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. The aviation industry is advancing Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) using catalytic routes like HEFA and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis from diverse bio-based feedstocks. Complementary innovations in nanocatalysis, plasmonic catalysis, and advanced materials are enabling more durable, efficient, and cost-effective energy solutions. Together, these technological advancements across CCU, SAF production, and AI-driven operations are redefining the global energy landscape, paving the way for sustainable, resilient, and carbon-neutral industries of the future.

About the Speaker

Kamal Kishore Pant is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, where he obtained a PhD in chemical engineering in 1997 and is currently the Director of Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee since 2022. With an illustrious academic career spanning over three decades, Professor Kamal Kishore Pant’s research encompasses heterogeneous catalysis, clean energy, sustainable resource recovery, and circular economy principles, focusing on developing carbon-efficient and self-sufficient solutions to strengthen India’s energy security and environmental resilience. Prof. Pant’s expertise lies in fundamental to translational research and disruptive innovations that have been instrumental in materializing industrial–academic collaborations for transformative contributions in coal-to-value-added chemicals, green hydrogen production, carbon capture and utilization (CCU), and waste-to- wealth technologies encompassing e-waste, biomass, and plastic waste conversion. Having supervised more than 50 PhDs and >95 Masters students, Prof. Pant has authored 300+ publications, holds 16 patents, and has an h-index of 78 with over 21,600 citations. He has led 50+ major projects worth more than ₹100 crores, supported by premier national agencies and industries, leading to pilot-scale technologies in plastic-to-fuel, e-waste pyrolysis, and coal-to-methanol conversion. A fellow of multiple national and international academies, including the INAE, NASI, and the Royal Society of Chemistry, Prof. Pant continues to advance India’s energy security and environmental sustainability through innovation, scale-up, and technology transfer.

About the Jeet Bindra Distinguished Lecture Series

Mr. Jagjeet Singh Bindra did his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1969. He earned his master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA in 1970. Mr. Bindra also has an M.B.A. (honors) from St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. He is a "Distinguished Alumnus" of the University of Washington, College of Engineering, as well as of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He was awarded Institute Fellow of IIT Kanpur in the year 2021. Mr. Jagjeet Singh Bindra is on the board of Lyondell Basell Industries NV and HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd. He is also the director of Edison International and Southern California Edison- one of the United States' largest electric utilities. Before joining Edison, Mr. Bindra served as president of Chevron Global Manufacturing from 2004 - 2009, where he was instrumental in leading the company's worldwide manufacturing operations, including those of 19 refineries His entire career at Chevron spanned more than three decades, and he started with his work there as a research engineer and attained a series of promotions with increasing levels of leadership. Apart from his positions with Edison, Mr. Bindra is on the board of directors of Larsen & Toubro Limited, India; Transfield Services Limited, Australia and Sriya Innovations Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia; and has chaired the board of directors at the IIT Kanpur Foundation.