National Paper Presentation & Research Award Competition
Held under “Gasification India 2026”
22–23 October 2026

India holds one of the world's largest coal reserves, yet the bulk of it is high-ash, low-calorific-value coal that is poorly suited to conventional combustion-based use and to chemical manufacturing dependent on imported feedstocks. The Government of India, through the Ministry of Coal, has identified coal and lignite gasification as a strategic pathway to convert domestic coal into methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, synthetic natural gas (SNG) and other high-value chemicals — reducing import dependence, creating downstream industrial value, and supporting the country's energy transition and net-zero commitments.

GTRC-India, working closely with the Ministry of Coal, Coal India Limited, and leading industry and technology partners, is convening “Gasification India 2026” on 22–23 October 2026, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and technologists to accelerate India's coal and lignite gasification mission. Academic and research institutions are a critical, currently under-tapped, source of innovation for this mission. This concept note proposes a National Paper Presentation & Research Award Competition to formally engage India's premier technical institutions, surface high-quality research, and create a direct pipeline from academic research to industrial and policy application.










Competition Categories & Eligibility

Student Category — 2 papers to be selected
• Open to B.Tech, M.Tech and Junior Research Fellows (JRF) / research scholars enrolled at institutions of national importance, submitting original work carried out under faculty supervision.

Faculty Category — 2 papers to be selected
• Open to full-time faculty members / principal investigators at institutions of national importance, presenting original research or findings from ongoing sponsored / institutional research projects.

Eligible Institutions
The campaign will be extended to all institutions of national importance and other leading technical institutions, including but not limited to:
• All Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
• National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
• Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
• Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs)
• Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai
• CSIR national laboratories — CIMFR, NCL, NML, NEERI and others working on coal, catalysis and process technologies
• Central and state universities with recognised chemical / mechanical / metallurgical / mining / energy / environmental engineering departments 

Suggested Research Themes

1. Gasification of Coal & Lignite

Reactor design (fixed-bed, fluidised-bed, entrained-flow, other advance and hybrid designs); plasma & oxy-gasification;

2. High-Ash Indian Coal

Gasification behaviour and kinetics of high-ash (35–45%) Indian coal; ash-fusion characteristics; slagging/fouling mitigation; blending strategies for gasifier feed

3. Syngas from coal -to-Chemicals Conversion Routes

Methanol, DME, SNG, ammonia, hydrogen and Fischer–Tropsch synthetic fuels; olefins and other high-value derivatives from syngas

4. Catalyst Development

Catalysts for tar cracking, water–gas shift, methanation and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis; syngas cleaning/conditioning catalysts; catalyst deactivation and regeneration

5. Process Improvement

Gasifier efficiency enhancement and process intensification; modelling, simulation & digital twins; AI/ML-based process optimisation and predictive maintenance

6. Environment — Ash & Slag Management

Ash/slag disposal and utilisation in cement, construction materials and geopolymers and new applications; effluent/wastewater treatment; emissions control and CCUS integration

7. Beneficiation of Low & High-Ash Indian Coal

Coal washing and blending for gasification-readiness; dry beneficiation technologies suited to Indian coal characteristics

8. Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS)

CO₂ capture from gasification streams; utilisation pathways and geological storage relevant to Indian sites

9. Materials & Equipment Engineering

Refractories and high-temperature, corrosion-resistant materials; critical equipment for gasification plants

10. Water Management

Water balance, zero-liquid-discharge (ZLD) systems and water recycling in gasification plants

Submission Guidelines

• Interested authors to first submit a 300–500 word abstract, followed by a full paper (6–8 pages) upon acceptance of the abstract.
• All submissions to be emailed to sinha.aayush@neweracleantech.com with the subject line: “GTRC-India 2026 Paper Submission – [Student/Faculty] – [Institution Name]”.
• Each submission must indicate the primary research theme (see Section 4), author(s) and institutional affiliation, and a certificate of originality.
• Student submissions must include the name and endorsement of the supervising faculty member. 

Evaluation Process & Committee

All submissions will be screened for eligibility and originality, and evaluated by a committee of eminent academicians, technologists a committee composition from GTRC-India.

Evaluation Criteria:
• Technical rigour, originality and novelty of the research
• Relevance to India's coal gasification, high-ash coal utilisation and syngas value-chain challenges
• Potential for pilot / commercial-scale application or policy impact
• Quality of presentation and clarity of technical communication
 

Awards & Recognition

Two best papers will be selected in each category (Student and Faculty), comprising the following recognition (indicative — to be finalised by GTRC-India)

• Certificate of Excellence and memento presented on stage at the “The Next Frontier in Coal Gasification: Research, Innovation & Commercialisation” session on Day 2 (23 October 2026) of Gasification India 2026.

• Cash award — indicatively ₹50,000 for the best paper and ₹25,000 for the second-best paper, in each category.

• Complimentary registration, and travel/accommodation support, for award recipients to attend and present at the event.

• Publication of the winning papers in GTRC-India's conference proceedings / newsletter.

Fast-tracked consideration of the underlying research for funding support from GTRC-India, given its close institutional linkage with the Ministry of Coal, will endeavour to formally forward the selected papers/projects — and other high-potential shortlisted work — to the Ministry of Coal for consideration under its ongoing S&T / R&D Grant-in-Aid Scheme for the Coal & Lignite Sector. This is intended to give participating researchers a genuine pathway from academic research to funded, scaled-up R&D, and to help the Ministry build a stronger pipeline of gasification-relevant research proposals. Inclusion under the scheme will remain subject to the Ministry of Coal's own scheme guidelines, process and approval.

Indicative Timeline

15 September 2026

Launch of Call for Papers & Institutional Campaign

Last date for Abstract Submission (300–500 words)

05 October 2026

07 October 2026

Communication of Abstract Acceptance

Last date for Full Paper Submission

10 October 2026

11 – 15 October 2026

Evaluation by Committee & Shortlisting

Announcement of Selected Papers

15 October 2026

22 – 23 October 2026

Award Ceremony & Presentation — GTRC-India Annual Event, Gasification India 2026

Contact:

 Dr Mishma Silvia Stanislaus

Research Scientist
research.gtrc-india@missionenergy.org
+919535708958

Gasification Technologies & Research Council of India (GTRC-India)

(SPV under Mission Energy Foundation)

Contacts

+91 98560 98360
003, B-16, Sector 1, Shanti Nagar
Mira Road (East), Thane
Maharashtra 401107
gtrc-india@missionenergy.org

GTRC-India

The Gasification Technologies & Research Council of India (GTRC-India) is a national industry platform established under Mission Energy Foundation to accelerate the advancement of gasification technologies across coal, lignite, biomass, waste-to-energy, hydrogen and allied sectors.

Copyright 2026, all rights reserved.