Organic Recycling Systems Limited (ORSL), in partnership with IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur, has been awarded a major research grant under the DBT–BIRAC Joint Call for Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU). With this award, ORSL becomes the first Indian company to receive support in the CCU category under the BioE3 framework for high-performance biomanufacturing.
This project represents a significant milestone for India’s emerging CCU landscape and has strong commercial potential for the rapidly expanding Compressed Biogas (CBG) industry. At present, many CBG facilities release or flare purified CO₂ due to limited conversion options. The BIO-CCU platform aims to convert this unused CO₂ into commercially valuable products such as bio-alcohols, specialty chemicals, nutritional bio-compounds and industrial additives, opening new revenue opportunities and improving operational economics across the sector.
The initiative titled “Integrating Biotechnological Interventions to Capture and Utilize CO₂ from Biogas via Algal Cultivation and Photocatalytic Conversion to Mixed Alcohols” will be implemented at the ORSL Research Innovation Centre in Navi Mumbai. The project will combine engineered algae platforms, biotechnology, and MXene-based photocatalysis at a scale not previously attempted in the country.
Commenting on the project, Sarang Bhand, Managing Director at ORSL, said “This initiative is a defining step for India’s bioenergy and carbon circularity ambitions. Achieving India’s 2030 emissions intensity reduction target requires accelerated R&D efforts supported jointly by academia and industry. Collaborations like ours shorten the innovation-to-deployment timeline, allowing high-potential CCU solutions to progress from laboratory scale to commercial scale much faster. Working with IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur, we aim to develop breakthrough approaches in CCU and clean-technology applications. The BioE3 grant will be instrumental in advancing cost-efficient and scalable routes for converting biogenic CO₂ into valuable materials.”
Dr Manju Tanwar, Principal Investigator and Head of R&D at ORSL, added “This program brings together multiple frontier technologies in a way not seen before in India. Our long-term vision is to create a near-zero-emission biogas platform that can serve as a benchmark for CCUS within the waste-to-energy industry.”
Prof Indrajit Chakraborty of IIT Bombay noted that advanced photobioreactor-based CO₂ utilisation represents one of the most promising pathways for sustainable conversion. The IIT Kharagpur research team highlighted the importance of selective photocatalytic conversion for future bio-refineries and green chemical manufacturing, emphasizing the project’s multidisciplinary relevance.
ORSL and its academic partners expressed deep appreciation to the Department of Biotechnology, BIRAC leadership and the Government of India for enabling policies and national-scale innovation frameworks that support CCU, sustainable biomanufacturing and climate-aligned industrial transformation.
Organic Recycling Systems Limited is an Indian environmental engineering company focused on waste-to-energy and resource-valorisation solutions. Since its establishment in 2008, the company has developed technologies across the waste management ecosystem, including India’s first municipal solid waste processing plant based on a patented anaerobic biomethanation process.
Its flagship project in Solapur, Maharashtra, converts biodegradable waste into Compressed Biogas and organic manure and has been recognized under the Swachh Bharat Mission. ORSL continues to build its technology pipeline through national and international research partnerships, contributing to India’s clean energy and circular-economy
