THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
In a major push to
strengthen Odisha’s renewable energy research and innovation ecosystem, IIT
Bhubaneswar and GRIDCO Limited have entered into an implementation agreement to
establish the Centre for Renewable Energy Research & Studies (CRRS), Odisha,
at the IIT Bhubaneswar campus.
The agreement was
signed on September 2 in the presence of IIT Bhubaneswar Director Prof Shreepad
Karmalkar and GRIDCO Limited Managing Director Dr Satyapriya Rath, IAS.
The initiative builds
on a memorandum of understanding signed between GRIDCO and IIT Bhubaneswar in
July 2025 to promote research and development in renewable energy and
facilitate the commercialisation and adoption of renewable energy technologies
in the state.
Envisaged under the
Odisha Renewable Energy Policy (OREP) 2022, the CRRS will serve as a
collaborative platform bringing together academia, the power sector, industry
and government for advanced research, technology demonstration, capacity
building and policy support in renewable energy.
GRIDCO will function
as the implementing agency on behalf of the Energy Department, Government of
Odisha, while IIT Bhubaneswar will be the host-cum-academic partner.
The proposed centre
will undertake research in several emerging and strategic areas, including solar
and wind energy, green hydrogen, energy storage, smart grids, renewable energy
integration, electric vehicle infrastructure, alternative energy generation,
advanced materials and sustainable battery systems.
"The CRRS will
create a strong bridge between cutting-edge research and real-world energy
challenges. Through this partnership, we aim to develop innovative and scalable
technologies that can contribute meaningfully to Odisha's clean-energy
transition," Karmalkar said.
Rath said the centre
would strengthen Odisha's capacity to develop and adopt renewable energy
solutions through a research-driven approach.
"Our partnership
with IIT Bhubaneswar will help connect innovation with the practical needs of
the state's evolving power sector," he said.
Under the
collaboration, IIT Bhubaneswar will provide infrastructure, laboratories,
academic resources and research expertise, while GRIDCO will facilitate
funding, government coordination and industry linkages.
The centre will also
seek additional research support through government schemes, international
agencies, corporate social responsibility initiatives and industry
partnerships.
The proposed
facilities include a Central Research Laboratory, testing and certification
facilities, pilot demonstration plants, a training centre and a renewable
energy data centre for resource assessment and forecasting.
The agreement-signing ceremony was attended, among others, by Prof Vijay Shankar Pasupureddi, Dean-Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy; GRIDCO Directors Debashis Das and Kshirod C Nanda; Principal Investigator Prof Subhransu R Samantaray; Co-PI Prof Umaprasana Ojha; and GRIDCO Coordinator Rutupurna Mansingh.
The initiative is expected to provide an institutional framework for translating renewable energy research into deployable technologies and supporting Odisha's transition towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy system.
