IIT Bhubaneswar hosts National Seminar on ‘Energy Access and Security in Emerging Energy Transition’

Bhubaneswar, 18th March 2025: Indian Energy Congress, in association with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar and NIST University, Bhubaneswar organised a two-day national seminar on “Energy Access and Security in Emerging Energy Transition” on 17th and 18th March 2025. The seminar, held at IIT Bhubaneswar, brought together leading experts from academia, industry, and government to discuss critical aspects of renewable energy, energy storage, and policy frameworks.

Inaugurating the seminar, Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar, emphasized the need to translate theoretical discussions into tangible benefits for society. stressed upon the “Net Zero Energy” in the modern world and has outlined the efforts of IIT Bhubaneswar towards achieving this ambitious goal. Citing the historical impact of semiconductor technology, he highlighted the shift toward real-world implementation of research to address energy management and sustainability.

Prof. Sukumar Mishra, Director, IIT (ISM), Dhanbad, stressed the importance of integrating traditional knowledge with modern technology like Artificial Intelligence for effective energy transition.

Dr. Sukant K. Mohapatra, Founder Director of NIST University, Berhampur, highlighted the necessity of collaborative efforts to overcome challenges in the shift to renewable energy. Prof. P.K. Parhi, Secretary General of the Indian Energy Congress, reiterated the organization’s commitment to uniting energy researchers and addressing global energy challenges. Prof. S.R. Samantaray, Head of the School of Electrical and Computer Science at IIT Bhubaneswar and Organising Chair of the Seminar, discussed the critical role of energy storage and electric vehicles in the evolving energy landscape.
Dr. Pravakar Swain, President, Indian Energy Congress also spoke on the occasion. Er. Pabitra Mohan Sahoo, Treasurer, Indian Energy Congress proposed a vote of thanks. 

Distinguished speakers Dr. M. V. Rao, Chairman, West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission, Shri Mahesh Das from GRIDCO, Mr. Kedar Pandu, MD, OPGC, Prof. A.K. Tripathy, Ex. DG, CPRI and Mr. P. K. Patnaik, Director OPTCL, shared insights on various aspects of Energy Access and transition. Besides several insightful talks by eminent academicians and practitioners in this field, the two-day seminar also witnessed impactful industry-academia deliberations. Two eminent international speakers from Germany, Prof. Xinliang Feng, Director, Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Germany and Prof. Thomas Heine, Technical University, Dresden, Germany also addressed the audiences and shared their experiences and insights. Prof. Feng discussed on ‘Building a Sustainable Future with Organic 2DCrystals’. Prof. Heine presented on ‘Organic 2D Crystals as Energy Materials’.

The seminar offered a platform to the audience gain knowledge on developing efficient, cost-effective solutions for greenhouse gas reduction and promoting advancements in the energy sector. Participants from industry, academia, regulators, and aspiring engineers discussed issues like renewable energy, policy changes, and new energy vectors. They recognized the growing global demand for sustainable energy and the challenges of transitioning, stressing India’s role as an emerging global economy. The seminar also focused on effectively addressing the technical, policy, and socio-economic challenges is essential to achieving a successful and sustainable energy transition.

Prof. Samantaray, Prof. Umaprasanna Ojha, Prof. S. K. Panda, Dr. Venugopal Arumuru and Dr. Chandrasekhar Perumalla from IIT Bhubaneswar coordinated the event.