IIT Bombay launched India’s first integrated CCUS field laboratory — the IIT Bombay CCUS field lab — on May 12, 2026 , when Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the pilot facility developed under the Bharat Innovates 2026 initiative.
The facility combines carbon capture, carbon utilisation and geological storage in a single system and is intended as a national testing platform for carbon management technologies, the institute said in a press release.
IIT Bombay CCUS field lab: pilot system and technology
The pilot includes a carbon capture unit with a capacity of up to 3 tonnes per day . IIT Bombay says the technology uses an aqueous-based catalytic process that can pull CO2 from both industrial emissions and direct ambient air.
The system is designed to run on non-potable water such as seawater and industrial wastewater, reducing demand for freshwater. Captured CO2 can be converted into high-purity carbonate and bicarbonate compounds for use in cement, steel, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.
IIT Bombay CCUS field lab: research, storage and scale-up
The project also begins scientific drilling and research into underground CO2 storage in Deccan basalt formations (Deccan Traps). Researchers will test different carbon injection approaches and study long-term storage behaviour and mineral trapping processes to generate India-specific data on permanence and leakage risks.
IIT Bombay described the initiative as a step to build scalable carbon management systems suited to Indian conditions. The field lab is expected to host tests and demonstrations for future industrial applications and academic research.
The technology is being scaled by UrjanovaC, a climate-tech startup incubated at SINE, IIT Bombay. UrjanovaC was founded by Vikram Vishal and Arnab Dutta and will take the pilot approaches toward larger demonstrations and commercial tests, the institute said.
Dharmendra Pradhan called the project “an important step” linking technological innovation with environmental responsibility, according to the institute.
Students, researchers and startups at IIT Bombay and other institutions will be able to access the facility as a testing platform, opening new possibilities for hands-on research in carbon capture, utilisation and geological sequestration.
The institute did not provide details in its release on project costs, long-term monitoring plans, or a commercialization timeline.