GAIL (India) Limited, Petronet LNG Limited and MC² Foundation, in association with iTIC Incubator at IIT Hyderabad, organised the ‘MC² Plus IGNITE Hyderabad Connect’ at IIT Hyderabad to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-led solutions for India’s energy sector. The event brought together industry leaders, startups, academia, researchers and technology experts to explore opportunities for developing and deploying solutions to address emerging challenges across the energy value chain. Dr Anil K. Khandelwal, former CMD of Bank of Baroda, delivered the keynote address. The programme was attended by Deepak Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, GAIL; Akshay Kumar Singh, MD & CEO, Petronet LNG; Prof BS Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad; and Ayush Gupta, Director (HR), GAIL.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Anil K Khandelwal emphasised that innovation cannot flourish in organisations where fear inhibits experimentation. He said sustainable transformation requires an organisational culture centred on customer needs, technology adoption, experimentation and continuous learning. According to him, even when resources are constrained, a combination of clear intent, collective intelligence and a strong commitment to excellence can create opportunities for breakthrough performance.
Addressing the gathering, Deepak Gupta said India is at a “remarkable inflection point”, with rapidly rising energy requirements coinciding with its ambition to become a developed economy, provide affordable and reliable energy, strengthen global competitiveness and meet climate commitments. He highlighted the need for transformational thinking to address the challenge of meeting increasing energy demand while transitioning towards cleaner sources, strengthening energy security, developing resilient infrastructure and reducing dependence on imported technologies and critical systems.
Shri Gupta said MC² IGNITE provides a platform for startups, academic institutions, research organisations and the oil and gas industry to collaborate and accelerate the journey of ideas from laboratories to prototypes, pilots, commercial deployment and scale. He stressed that the success of innovation should ultimately be measured by its implementation and real-world impact. Highlighting Digital Asset Management as the focus of the Hyderabad edition, he called for conventional infrastructure to be transformed into intelligent assets using artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced analytics, sensors, robotics, drones and digital twins. He noted that the industry should move beyond preventive and predictive maintenance towards prescriptive maintenance, enabling technology to anticipate potential failures and recommend appropriate interventions.
Shri Akshay Kumar Singh said MC² Plus IGNITE is helping connect the energy industry with India’s startup and innovation ecosystem, particularly around technologies such as AI, advanced sensors, robotics and digital twins. He noted that these technologies can make LNG infrastructure smarter, safer, more reliable and efficient. He also highlighted opportunities to commercialise cold energy generated during LNG regasification for applications including data centres, cold storage and air separation units. In addition, he pointed to the potential for improving CBG yields and optimising value-added by-products, thereby contributing to import substitution.
Prof. Murty said IIT Hyderabad remains committed to innovation and translating research into solutions with meaningful societal and national impact. He said the MC² Plus initiative brings together industry, academia and startups to address critical energy-sector challenges and provides an avenue for leveraging faculty expertise, research capabilities and institutional infrastructure to accelerate deployment of promising technologies.
Addressing students and startup founders, Ayush Gupta said MC² Plus IGNITE aims not only to support innovative ideas financially but also to empower innovators to contribute to India’s energy future. He highlighted the role of mentorship in converting real-world challenges into practical solutions and encouraged young innovators to challenge conventional approaches.
The programme also featured a panel discussion on innovation and the startup ecosystem, moderated by Murali Talasila of Groundgame.health, with participation from representatives of Nawgati, GCRS, EyeROV, Detect Technologies, VDT Pipeline Integrity Solutions and Vasitars. The discussion examined emerging technologies, entrepreneurial opportunities and the role of startup-industry collaboration in solving energy-sector challenges.
Sandeep Maheshwari, CEO, MC² Foundation, said MC² Plus is India’s flagship energy innovation accelerator, envisioned by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in collaboration with leading energy-sector organisations. The programme covers seven priority areas: Digital Asset Management; AI-Driven Subsurface Intelligence; Next-Generation Drilling & Well Completion; Refinery Process Intensification & Catalysis; Bio-Energy with a focus on Compressed Biogas; Hydrogen & Mobility; and other energy-sector innovations.
Selected startups under the programme will be eligible for convertible funding of up to ₹50 lakh and milestone-based funding of up to ₹1.5 crore. MC² Plus aims to support 30 high-potential early-stage startups through mentorship, technical expertise, pilot opportunities, funding and industry networks. The Hyderabad Connect attracted participation from students, entrepreneurs, startups, industry professionals and other stakeholders.
The event also featured a session by IIT Hyderabad on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship and translating ideas into impactful solutions, along with a presentation by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry on Avinya’27, the Energy Start-up Challenge and India Energy Week 2027.
