KSS | IIT Kanpur

Vision

The Kotak School of Sustainability at IIT Kanpur envisions advancing global sustainability through pioneering research, transformative education, and innovative solutions. We aim to provide leadership in sustainability and prepare future generations to build resilient systems and technologies for a sustainable future.

New LEED aligned KSS Building

Recent and upcoming Activities

Guest Lecture by Prof. Meera Mahadevan, School of Global Policy and Strategy at University of California San Diego (UCSD) on India’s Water Scarcity Challenges. Date: June 09, 2026.
Prime Minister's Research Chair (PMRC) Opportunity at KSS, IIT Kanpur
Inviting distinguished researchers in Climate Science, Climate Change, Climate Extremes, Climate Impacts, Global & Regional Modelling, and AI for Climate.
Application Deadline: 15 July 2026
Selection Criteria for M.Tech Admissions 2026-2027 Sem-I in KSS (KAIS) M.Tech program
List of shortlisted candidates for PhD Interview 2026-2027 – Sem I
Guest lecture by Prof. Francis Pope, University of Birmingham, UK on “Low-Cost Source Apportionment (LoCoSA) of Air Pollution” on April 23, 2026.
International workshop on "Smart Sensing and Digital Intelligence for Clean Air and Good Health", organized by IIT Kanpur on April 09, 2026 at Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel, Pune, India.
Swastibhavatu Lecture Series talk by Dr. M. Ravichandran | 24 March 2026 | 05:00 PM | Outreach Auditorium, IIT Kanpur
Talk title: Blue Economy: India's Opportunities and Challenges.
Indo-Max Planck Workshop on Climate, Water and Urban Systems Sustainability (TheSyS - 2026) at IIT Kanpur from 9th March to 11th March 2026.
AQI as city’s new electoral battleground: Prof. Sachchida Nand Tripathi
Aravali Diaries: A Podcast with Prof. S. N. Tripathi, IIT Kanpur
Bharat Electricity Summit 2026 – Technical Call for Papers is NOW OPEN!
Swastibhavatu Distinguished Lecture by Prof. Ashok Gulati | Feeding India while Protecting Nature-The Role of Agri Policies and New Technologies.
How IIT-Kanpur is using mobile labs and AI to map solutions for Delhi’s pollution
Reimagining higher education governance for India’s future
What Delhi Needs: Machine Learning-Based ‘Airshed Approach’, Low-Cost Sensors and Irrefutable Data to Tackle Air Pollution- The Wire speaks to Prof. Sachida Nand Tripathi on rethinking Delhi’s air pollution strategy
Mumbai Air Pollution: Why BMC Thinks An AI-Based AQI Monitor May Be The Solution
What Will It Take to Give India Clean Air? | India’s Pollution Crisis | India Air Pollution
Ph.D Admissions in Kotak School of Sustainability: Walk-in Interviews
New Research Published in Atmospheric Environment:
A new paper titled “High-resolution source apportionment and health risks of PM₂.₅-bound trace elements across a major Indian city: Seasonal and diurnal insights from a multi-site campaign using a mobile laboratory platform” has been published by Akanksha Lakra, Ambasht Kumar, Davender Sethi, Himadri Sekhar Bhowmik, Vaishali Jain, and Prof. Sachchida Nand Tripathi.
PNAS Publication | Prof. Mahendra K. Verma and team
On the absence of the ultimate regime in turbulent thermal convection A new study by Harshi Tiwari, Lekha Sharma, and Mahendra K. Verma published in PNAS (2025) addresses a long-standing puzzle in turbulent convection. The research shows that in highly turbulent flows, the upper boundary can deflect hot plumes downward, inducing a negative heat flux. The difference between positive and negative fluxes diminishes with increasing Rayleigh number, leading to classical Nusselt number scaling. These insights help resolve a fundamental question in the heat transport of turbulent convection, with implications for astrophysical and engineering systems.
PNAS, Vol. 122, No. 44 (2025)
Read the paper:
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:AP:f98bb9fa-6af8-47d5-aaf1-1be8d667ee31
Shri D. S. Mishra joins the Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur as Visiting Professor of Practice. Mr Mishra is former Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh and former Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.
The Kotak School of Sustainability (KSS), IIT Kanpur will anchor the Sustainability Track at the upcoming Faculty Alumni Collaborative Endeavor (FACE) meeting at Stanford University on October 3, 2025.
We are inviting applications for Faculty Positions at KSS, IIT Kanpur: Join us to shape the future of Sustainability
New Faculty Publication in American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) titled: Optimal Deployment of Movable Sensors for Air Quality Monitoring co authored by Professor Sachchida Nand Tripathi.
KSS hosted a talk on the role of AI foundation models in advancing weather and climate prediction on 18th of August. The session reviewed cutting-edge models like GraphCast, FourCastNet, PanguWeather, Earth2, Aurora, and India’s Prithvi WxC, highlighting their unprecedented speed and accuracy.
We are inviting applications for Faculty Positions at KSS, IIT Kanpur: Join us to shape the future of Sustainability
New Faculty Publication in American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) titled: Optimal Deployment of Movable Sensors for Air Quality Monitoring co authored by Professor Sachchida Nand Tripathi.
From silos to systems: Unlocking Urban India’s potential with shared digital infrastructure
AI will transform the way we live in cities: IIT Kanpur Prof Sachchida Nand Tripathi
Swastibhavatu Lecture Series: Prof Ram Ramaswamy, Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences Program, Princeton University, delivered a talk on the topic "Understanding & Predictions of Climate Extremes for Sustainability" on 12 Aug 2025
Foundation Stone for Kotak School of Sustainability Building Laid at IIT Kanpur on 6 August 2025.
Kotak School of Sustainability - IIT Kanpur signed a letter of Intent (LoI) with the Department of Energy, Government of Odisha (GoO) & the Tony Blair Institute of Global Change
M.Tech program in Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability! India’s First M.Tech in AI for Climate Change & Sustainability
Padma Shri Prof. Thalappil Pradeep, delivered a insightful talk as a part of 'IIT Kanpur Swastibhavatu Lecture Series,' supported by the Rawat Family Trust, on March 25, 2025.
Proposal Invited for International Travel Grants under Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur
Dr. Sai Ravela, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA delivered a talk on the topic "Smart, Sparse, Scalable: Co-Active Intelligence for Climate Extremes and Sustainability"

Speaker

In Memoriam: Dr. Ram Ramaswamy

The Kotak School of Sustainability expresses its deep sorrow at the passing of Dr. Ram Ramaswamy, Distinguished Visiting Professor at KSS, on 21 June 2026 in Philadelphia.

Dr. Ramaswamy was a distinguished climate scientist whose contributions significantly advanced global understanding of climate change and atmospheric science. Through his research, leadership, and mentorship, he inspired generations of scholars and practitioners. We were honoured to have him associated with KSS and grateful for the knowledge, insight, and guidance he shared with our community.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and students.

May his soul rest in peace.

About the School

The Kotak School of Sustainability (KSS) at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur is a leading hub for research, innovation, and education in sustainable development, supported by the Kotak Mahindra Group. Integrating science, technology, and policy, KSS addresses critical challenges in climate, energy, water, and urban systems. It is committed to developing impactful solutions and future leaders for a resilient and sustainable world.

Dean's Message

Research Centres

Academic Programs

Sustainability Projects

Testing Facilities

Core Research Domains

Laboratory

Sustainable Energy Engineering

Field Research

Water, Rivers and Ecosystem Restoration

Monitoring

Air Quality Monitoring and Climate System

Climate

Climate Science, Risk and Resilience

Policy

AI Cities

AI for Sustainable cities

Activities

Cutting Edge Research

Cutting Edge Research

Swastibhavatu Lecture Series

Swastibhavatu Lecture Series

Student Activities

Student Activities

Video Gallery

Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering

ARF

CESE

NAF

CESE Lab

Swastibhavatu Distinguished Lecture by Prof. T. Pradeep| Water Droplets & Ice; examples of Science for Technology | March 25, 2025

Swastibhavatu Distinguished Lecture by Prof Ram Ramaswamy, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory |"Understanding & Predictions of Climate Extremes for Sustainability| Aug 12, 2025

Swastibhavatu Distinguished Lecture by Prof. Ashok Gulati, ICRIER | Feeding India while Protecting Nature-The Role of Agri Policies and New Technologies| Jan 09, 2026

Swastibhavatu Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Ravichandran, Secretary MoES | Blue Economy: India's Opportunities and Challenges | March 24, 2026

Photo gallery