New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) Coal gasification and coal-to-chemicals pathways are great opportunities for India to reduce import dependence while supporting industrial growth and decarbonisation, Dr VK Saraswat, former member, NITI Aayog, said here on Thursday.

Speaking at a panel discussion jointly organised by Chintan Research Foundation (CRF) and the Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition (ACPET), he said that “a paradigm shift has to take place in the way we use coal, and that will be through clean coal technologies”.

Dr. Saraswat stressed that energy security must remain central to India’s transition strategy.

Noting India’s substantial import bill of Rs 2.77 lakh crore (FY2025) for products such as LNG, methanol, ammonia, and coking coal, he highlighted coal gasification and coal-to-chemicals pathways as opportunities to reduce import dependence.

Rupinder Brar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, emphasised that innovation must remain central to India’s energy transition strategy.

She noted that while coal has often been portrayed negatively in global climate discussions, many of those narratives emerged from regions that had already exhausted substantial portions of their own coal resources.

India, she argued, must develop its energy pathways based on its own resource realities and developmental priorities.

Vaibhav Chaturvedi, Director, ACPET, noted that while renewable energy will play a central role in India’s energy transition, coal is likely to remain an important part of the country’s energy mix for decades.

He emphasised the need to explore how India’s abundant coal resources can contribute to energy security, economic growth, and net-zero goals.

Dr Debajit Palit, Centre Head, Centre for Climate Change and Energy Transition, CRF, observed that despite global debates surrounding coal, the resource continues to hold strategic significance for India.

Referring to coal as “buried sunshine,” he emphasised that India’s energy future requires both renewable resources and efficient utilisation of domestic fossil resources.

He argued that coal gasification offers an opportunity to simultaneously advance economic security and environmental objectives.

Bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers, the event provided a platform for discussions on the opportunities and challenges associated with scaling coal gasification and its downstream applications in India.

The event also featured the release of two publications: a compilation of critical perspectives on coal gasification jointly published by CRF and ACPET, and CRF’s issue brief, Black Coal, Clean Molecule, which examines the strategic case for coal-to-hydrogen pathways in India.

–IANS

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