Publications
The Silent Disaster: Why India Must Build Stronger Heatwave Resilience
Article
| May 30, 2025
Between 1992 and 2015, official estimates recorded 24,223 deaths caused by heatwaves, earning it the labels of a “silent killer” or an “invisible disaster.”
India and Commonwealth: Examining the Debates on Contemporary Relevance and Continued Membership
Research Paper
| May 30, 2025
India’s continued membership in the Commonwealth has led to an emergence o f two opposing perceptions. The first group perceives it as a relevant organisation, and India should continue its membership to pursue its varied interests. The second group relegates it as a relic o f the colonial past and strongly advocates for exiting the organisation.
Climate change—WASH services—health nexus: the Indian case
Research Paper
| May 27, 2025
Climate change introduces a wide range of factors that affect human health, which are now becoming increasingly evident Worldwide. This emphasizes the necessity for a more profound understanding of the intricate health issues to implement preventive measures and intervention strategies aimed to safeguard lives on the planet earth. The current set of circumstances calls for more intensive research to gain a better comprehend of the emerging health risks associated with climate change and to identify the most vulnerable populations.
Towards A Greener Tomorrow: White Paper on Indo-Dutch Opportunities for the Biotransition
Policy brief
| May 27, 2025
The shift to a sustainable and low-carbon future is imperative as global temperatures have risen above a critical point. Therefore, switching to alternative renewable energy sources is essential to address climate security concerns and meet the growing energy demand. Bio-based resources are renewable and have great potential for achieving the decarbonization goal. We call this the biotransition, which refers to the shift from a fossil-based economy to biobased economy that places a strong emphasis on using biological resources.
High-value products from microalgae—Unlocking the potential for large-scale commercialization
Research Paper
| May 26, 2025
Microalgae are a sustainable source for the commercial production of nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and pharmaceutical industries. In order to obtain the optimum yields, current focus should be to develop a process chain that revolves around cost-efficiency and ease of up-scaling to develop holistic microalgal biorefineries. Enhanced biomass yield through optimization of nutrient composition, light intensity, agitation, cultivation techniques, or genetic engineering is one of the promising solutions.
Plant Bioactive Natural Products through Endophytic Fungal Interactions
Research Paper
| May 26, 2025
One of the primary areas in drug discovery today is the exploration of natural sources such as medicinal plants to discover new bioactives that can contribute to the pharmaceutical industry. Endophytic fungi are being studied the most as microbial bio-factories to produce such bioactives because of their symbiotic associations with the host plants. Furthermore, the production of secondary metabolites is determined by their genetic makeup, environmental factors, and surrounding biota.
Knowledge Paper On Powering Progress: Unlocking the Energy Potential of Eastern and North-Eastern India
Policy brief
| May 22, 2025
Twelve Eastern and North-Eastern states together own barely 9 per cent of India’s installed generation capacity—about 42 GW, of which only 10 GW is renewable. Yet official resource potential show an extraordinary ≈218 GW of technically exploitable solar, wind, small-hydro and biomass potential, including ~50 GW of large-hydro potential in the Himalayan rivers. Bridging that gap is critical for meeting India’s 500 GW non-fossil target by 2030 and its net-zero pledge for 2070.
Echoes of the Urban Forest: Reclaiming Green in India’s Urban Cities
Article
| May 20, 2025
The rapid growth of major cities and state capitals in India has led to an increased demand for housing, commercial spaces, and infrastructure.
India’s pathway to net zero by 2070: status, challenges, and way forward
Research Paper
| May 16, 2025
The announcement of India’s 2070 net-zero target has demonstrated the power of a credible policy signal and changed the course of India’s climate debate. While the Government of India (GoI) has not specified whether this target refers to carbon-dioxide or all greenhouse gases, the announcement has been a watershed moment in India’s climate policy. From questions related to whether and at what pace should India decarbonize its economy, various actors in India are now aligned towards this target.
Application of digital twins for the low-voltage electricity grid–Challenges and opportunities of Distribution Grid Analytics in India
Research Paper
| May 16, 2025
India anticipates significant growth in both population and energy demand. A substantial portion of this growth in energy demand is projected to be met through non-fossil-based resources, with ambitious plans to expand capacity to 500 GW by 2030. This ransition necessitates extensive grid infrastructure expansion to accommodate increasing demand and supply fluctuations. However, urban areas, experiencing rapid population growth, offer limited space for large-scale electricity network infrastructure development.