Guwahati, Nov 02: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Centre for High Technology, the dedicated technology cell of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for the hydrocarbon sector, to promote education, research and innovation in petroleum refining, petrochemicals, critical minerals and energy.
A key component of the MoU is the CHT–IITG Research Fellowship Programme. Up to three PhD scholars will be selected every year as CHT–IITG Research Fellows, with a maximum of ten fellows supported at any time. Each fellow will be jointly guided by an IIT Guwahati faculty supervisor and a co-supervisor/mentor from CHT or a CHT-nominated industry partner, on research topics jointly identified by the two organisations.
CHT–IITG Research Fellows will receive a fellowship 25% higher than the prevailing CSIR/UGC-NET/Institute rates, along with HRA, an annual contingency grant and support for research consumables, for up to four years. Candidates qualifying through CSIR/UGC-NET/GATE or selected through a test and interview conducted by IIT Guwahati will be eligible for the fellowship. Fellows may carry out their research at IIT Guwahati and/or at locations designated by CHT and its industry partners.
The broad research areas identified under the MoU include green hydrogen, energy storage systems, corrosion engineering, carbon capture, utilisation and storage, CO₂-to-chemicals, crude-to-chemicals, polymers and petrochemicals, catalysts and additives, coal and biomass gasification, process design and intensification, water conservation and wastewater treatment, waste valorisation, alternate fuels, nanotechnology, digitalisation and cybersecurity.
In addition to the PhD fellowship programme, the collaboration will enable:
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Long-term sponsored research projects of mutual interest, with potential participation of industry partners.
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Joint establishment of Centres of Excellence at IIT Guwahati to develop a research, development and innovation ecosystem.
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Regular national and international training programmes, organised with CHT and Indian refineries, in areas such as petroleum refining and petrochemicals technology, corrosion and asset integrity, green hydrogen, CCUS, fire and process safety, advanced process control, biofuels, energy transition, life cycle assessment and Net Zero.
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Participation of IIT Guwahati in CHT’s Activity Committee Meetings, enabling direct engagement with challenges in refining operations and the energy sector.
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Joint establishment of testing facilities relevant to the refinery and energy sectors at IIT Guwahati.
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Joint creation of an energy think tank to support MoPNG in the timely formulation of energy policies.
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Short-term faculty sabbaticals and corporate adjunct fellowships for IIT Guwahati faculty members and industry experts in oil & gas, biofuels and green energy technologies.
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Pathways to commercialise jointly developed technologies, including through inventor-led start-ups.
As India’s hydrocarbon sector moves towards cleaner fuels, petrochemical integration and Net Zero goals, there is a growing need for highly skilled researchers and industry-relevant solutions. This collaboration will bring IIT Guwahati’s research strengths together with the industry expertise of CHT and its partner organisations, building a strong talent pipeline and strengthening industry–academia linkages in the energy sector.
Speaking about the collaboration with CHT, Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati, said,
“This partnership with the Centre for High Technology connects our doctoral researchers directly with the Oil & Gas and energy industry. Through jointly supervised PhD research, sponsored projects and training programmes, it will help develop solutions to real industry challenges and build the skilled workforce needed for India’s energy transition.”
The MoU was formalised at the Advanced Training Institute (ATI), ONGC, Goa, between Prof. Sukumar Nandi, Dean of Administration, IIT Guwahati, and Shri Sankar Gunasekaran, Executive Director, Centre for High Technology, MoPNG. Other dignitaries present during the MoU signing event included Dr. Neeraj Mittal, IAS, Secretary of MoPNG, Shri Alok Tripathi, Joint Secretary, MoPNG, and Dr. Sumit Kumar, Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati.
