IIT Bombay: Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates India’s first CCUS field lab under Bharat Innovates 2026

IIT Bombay: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated what Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Bombay described as India’s first integrated Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) field laboratory facility under the Bharat Innovates 2026 initiative. The facility has been developed at IIT Bombay and combines carbon capture, carbon utilisation and geological storage within a single pilot scale system.

As per the IIT Bombay press note, the project includes a carbon capture unit with a capacity of up to three tonnes per day and also marks the beginning of scientific drilling work related to underground carbon dioxide storage in the Deccan basalt formations. The institute said the initiative is intended to generate India specific data on long term carbon storage and mineral trapping processes.

The technology, according to the IIT Bombay press release, has been developed at the institute using an aqueous based catalytic process capable of capturing carbon dioxide both from industrial emissions and directly from ambient air.

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The institute said the system has been designed to function using non potable water sources such as industrial wastewater and seawater, reducing dependence on freshwater resources often required in conventional carbon capture systems.

IIT Bombay further stated that the captured carbon dioxide can be converted into high purity carbonate and bicarbonate compounds through catalytic reactions, creating industrial products that can be used in sectors including cement, steel, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.

IIT Bombay: CCUS project

Speaking during the inauguration, Dharmendra Pradhan described the initiative as “an important step” towards linking technological innovation with environmental responsibility. As per the IIT Bombay press release , he said the project reflected cooperation between academia, industry and policymakers in addressing climate related concerns.

The project also includes research into geological sequestration methods in the Deccan Traps, where researchers will study different carbon injection approaches and assess long term storage behaviour in basalt rock formations.

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According to the press release, the aim is to better understand underground mineralisation processes that could permanently lock carbon dioxide into stable minerals and reduce risks of leakage. The institute described the initiative as part of a broader effort to build scalable and sustainable carbon management systems suited to Indian conditions.

The institute further stated in its press release that the technology is being scaled through UrjanovaC, a climate technology startup incubated at the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay. The startup was founded by Vikram Vishal and Arnab Dutta, the release said. IIT Bombay also noted that the field laboratory is expected to function as a national testing platform for future carbon management technologies and industrial applications.