• India sets up first cluster of CCU testbeds in cement industry across five states to cut carbon emissions and boost industrial decarbonization.
• Led by the Department of Science and Technology, the initiative aims to convert CO₂ into useful products like synthetic fuels, urea, soda ash, and green building materials.
• Launched on National Technology Day, the project supports India’s net-zero 2070 goal and Paris Agreement commitments through a public-private R&D partnership.

India made history as it moved a step closer towards industrial decarbonization with the initiation of its very first cluster of Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) testbeds in the cement industry. Led by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), this project targets minimizing the release of carbon from one of the nation's most carbon-dense industries. The five testbeds are strategically positioned throughout Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Goa, and form part of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model bringing together premier academic institutions and prominent cement producers.

Every testbed aims at a distinct method of capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide emissions from cement production. For example, in Haryana's Ballabhgarh plant in partnership with JK Cement, oxygen-enhanced calcination is used to capture CO₂ and produce lightweight concrete blocks and olefins. In IIT Kanpur in partnership with JSW Cement, the testbed aims at replacing traditional additives with carbon-negative mineralization, essentially converting CO₂ into solid minerals.

IIT Bombay and Dalmia Cement are working on catalyst-based CO₂ capture processes at a running cement factory. In Andhra Pradesh, CSIR-IIP, IIT Tirupati, IISc, and JSW Cement are using vacuum-based gas separation to recycle CO₂ in kiln gases into building materials. Last but not least, IIT Madras and BITS Pilani, in association with Ultratech Cement, are working on novel carbon-decreasing interventions.

This programme is part of India's vision to become a net-zero nation by 2070 and its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. The testbeds are hoping to make green cement manufacturing more economical and environmentally friendly by incorporating next-generation materials, catalysts, and process innovations. The collaborative processes will see scalable models of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and driving sustainable industrial practices throughout the nation.

The initiation of these testbeds was announced on the occasion of National Technology Day celebrations held on May 11, 2025, at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh stressed the value of such efforts in the overall decarbonization plan of India. DST's Energy and Sustainable Technology Division was instrumental in driving academia-industry consortia proposals for the installation of CCU technologies in the cement industry.

Overall, the set-up of these CCU testbeds is a big step forward in decarbonizing India's industrial sectors, and especially the hard-to-abate cement sector. On a constant basis, through research and innovation, the program will set up efficient carbon capture and utilization technologies that can be scaled and replicated in multiple industries, and in doing so, contribute to the country's climate targets.