IIT Bombay and Indus Towers partner to advance sustainable energy research

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) has entered into a partnership with telecom infrastructure provider Indus Towers to promote sustainable energy research. The collaboration will focus on two key research and development projects: one aimed at developing energy storage solutions using agricultural waste, and the other exploring next-generation solar power technologies.

In a LinkedIn post, Indus Towers stated, "IIT Bombay and Indus Towers are coming together for two breakthrough R&D projects, one to advance solar power generation, and the other to convert agricultural waste into clean energy storage. Proudly researched and developed in India, this partnership marks a step towards a greener and smarter future."

Indus Towers relies on a continuous power supply to operate its vast network of telecom mobile towers. While many tower operators depend on backup power systems, often reliant on fossil fuels, shifting global priorities around climate and energy demand have highlighted the need for cleaner energy alternatives.

According to a statement released by IIT Bombay on 23 April 2025, on materials for sodium-ion batteries, alongside the development of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells.

The first project focuses on enhancing perovskite solar cell tecthe collaboration aims to develop scalable methods for converting rice straw into doped hard carbhnology to address the limitations of conventional silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) cells. The institute noted that this next-generation technology is being developed to deliver higher efficiency without increasing the cost of existing PV cells. Developed entirely within India, the technology is expected to be suitable for both terrestrial and space-based solar applications.

The second project addresses two major challenges: energy storage and agricultural stubble burning. Researchers plan to investigate how rice straw, an abundant agricultural by-product, can be converted into materials suitable for use as anodes in sodium-ion batteries. These batteries offer a more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries, contributing to the development of a greener energy ecosystem.

This initiative falls under Pragati, Indus Towers' leading corporate social responsibility programme.