Hyderabad: GAIL (India) Limited, Petronet LNG Limited and MC² Foundation, in association with the iTIC Incubator of IIT Hyderabad, organised the MC² Plus IGNITE Hyderabad Connect at IIT Hyderabad to accelerate innovation, entrepreneurship and technology adoption in India’s energy sector.
The event brought together leaders from the energy industry, academia, startups, entrepreneurs and technology experts to explore innovative solutions for emerging challenges across the energy value chain.
The programme was attended by Deepak Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, GAIL (India) Limited; Akshay Kumar Singh, MD & CEO, Petronet LNG Limited; Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad; and Ayush Gupta, Director (HR), GAIL. Former Bank of Baroda CMD Dr. Anil K. Khandelwal delivered the keynote address.
Dr Anil Khandelwal Highlights Need for Innovation Culture
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Anil K. Khandelwal emphasised that innovation requires an organisational culture that encourages experimentation, customer-centricity, technology adoption and continuous learning.
He said true transformation cannot be achieved through a single initiative and requires collective intelligence, honest intent and a sustained pursuit of excellence.
GAIL CMD Highlights India’s Energy Transition Challenges
Addressing the gathering, GAIL CMD Deepak Gupta said India is at a “remarkable inflection point”, with rapidly rising energy requirements alongside its ambition to become a developed economy.
He highlighted the need to balance growing energy demand with the transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy systems.
According to him, the energy sector needs transformational thinking to address several priorities, including:
- Meeting rising energy demand
- Ensuring affordable and reliable energy
- Strengthening energy security
- Building smarter and more resilient infrastructure
- Reducing dependence on imported technologies and critical systems
- Meeting India’s climate commitments
Gupta said MC² IGNITE seeks to bring startups, academia, research institutions and the oil and gas industry onto a common platform, helping innovative ideas move from laboratories to prototypes, pilots, deployment and eventual scale.
He emphasised that innovation should ultimately be measured by successful implementation and real-world impact.
Focus on Digital Asset Management and Intelligent Infrastructure
The Hyderabad edition of MC² Plus IGNITE focused particularly on Digital Asset Management, highlighting the potential of emerging technologies to improve asset performance, operational efficiency, reliability and sustainability.
Deepak Gupta called for conventional infrastructure to be transformed into “intelligent assets” through technologies such as:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Advanced analytics
- Sensors
- Robotics
- Drones
- Digital twins
He said the industry needs to move beyond preventive and predictive maintenance towards prescriptive maintenance, where technology can not only anticipate potential failures but also recommend appropriate interventions.
GAIL CMD Calls for Technology Self-Reliance
Gupta also outlined key imperatives for India’s energy sector, including efficiency, technology self-reliance, net-zero goals and development of self-sustaining energy systems.
He called for a progression from “Make in India” and “Invent in India” towards “Innovate in India, deploy in India and Export from India.”
He stressed that India’s energy future must be efficient, resilient, sustainable and technologically sovereign.
Petronet LNG Highlights AI, Robotics and Digital Twins
Akshay Kumar Singh, MD & CEO, Petronet LNG Limited, highlighted the role of MC² Plus IGNITE in connecting India’s energy industry with the startup and innovation ecosystem.
He said technologies such as AI, advanced sensors, robotics and digital twins can help make LNG infrastructure smarter, safer, more reliable and efficient.
He also highlighted opportunities for innovation across the LNG value chain, particularly in converting promising technologies into practical and scalable solutions.
Key Innovation Opportunities Highlighted
- Commercial utilisation of cold energy generated during the LNG regasification process
- Applications in data centres, cold storage and air separation units
- Improvements in CBG yield
- Optimisation of value-added CBG by-products
- Greater import substitution through domestic innovation
IIT Hyderabad Emphasises Industry-Academia Collaboration
Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, said innovation remains a key focus of the institute’s academic and research ecosystem.
He highlighted the importance of translating research and ideas into solutions that create meaningful impact for society and the nation.
The MC² Plus initiative, he said, brings together industry, academia and startups around major challenges facing India’s energy sector.
IIT Hyderabad is contributing its faculty expertise, research capabilities and infrastructure to help promising innovations move closer to real-world deployment.
MC² Plus Offers Funding and Industry Support to Startups
Ayush Gupta, Director (HR), GAIL, addressed students and startup founders and said MC² Plus IGNITE would not only fund innovative ideas but also empower innovators to contribute to India’s energy future.
The platform aims to help innovators transform real-life industry challenges into practical and scalable solutions with support from mentors and industry experts.
The programme offers selected startups access to:
- Experienced mentors
- Technical expertise
- Pilot opportunities
- Industry networks
- Convertible funding of up to ₹50 lakh
- Milestone-based funding of up to ₹1.5 crore
The programme aims to support 30 high-potential early-stage startups.
Seven Priority Themes Under MC² Plus
According to Sandeep Maheshwari, CEO, MC² Foundation, MC² Plus is India’s flagship energy innovation accelerator, envisioned by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) in collaboration with leading energy-sector organisations.
The programme focuses on seven priority areas:
- Digital Asset Management
- AI-Driven Subsurface Intelligence
- Next-Generation Drilling and Well Completion
- Refinery Process Intensification and Catalysis
- Bio-Energy, with a focus on Compressed Biogas (CBG)
- Hydrogen and Mobility
- Other energy-sector innovations
The Hyderabad Connect provided startups and innovators an opportunity to interact with industry leaders and understand the opportunities available through the MC² Plus accelerator.
Startup Panel Explores Emerging Energy Technologies
The event also featured a panel discussion on innovation and the startup ecosystem, moderated by Murali Talasila of Groundgame.health.
The discussion included representatives from startups and technology companies such as:
- Vaibhav Kaushik, Nawgati
- G. Prasad Babu, GCRS
- Milesh Dongre, EyeROV
- Varun Kumar, Detect Technologies
- Bhuvanesh Kumar Sharma, VDT Pipeline Integrity Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
- Vishwas Chandra Khan, Vasitars
The panel highlighted emerging technologies, entrepreneurial opportunities and the role of startups in developing solutions to real-world industry challenges.
IIT Hyderabad and FIPI Sessions Add to Innovation Focus
The programme also featured an IIT Hyderabad session offering perspectives on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship and translating ideas into impactful solutions.
A presentation by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI) highlighted Avinya’27, the Energy Start-up Challenge and India Energy Week 2027.
The Hyderabad Connect witnessed participation from students, entrepreneurs, startups, industry professionals and other stakeholders, strengthening collaboration between India’s energy industry and its innovation ecosystem.
About GAIL (India) Limited
GAIL (India) Limited is India’s leading natural gas company and an integrated energy major with operations spanning natural gas transmission and marketing, LPG, petrochemicals, LNG, renewable energy and other energy-related businesses. The company plays a significant role in developing India’s natural gas infrastructure and supporting the country’s transition towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
About Petronet LNG Limited
Petronet LNG Limited (PLL) is one of India’s leading companies in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector. The company is engaged in LNG import, storage and regasification, supporting India’s growing natural gas requirements. PLL operates LNG infrastructure and plays an important role in strengthening the country’s energy security and transition towards cleaner energy.
Read also: GAIL to Develop 3 LPG Pipeline Projects Worth ₹7,000 Crore, Network to Expand by 1,800 Km
