Simon India Limited (SIL) signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad to jointly develop advanced catalyst and process technologies that can enable large-scale deployment of green and low-carbon industrial solutions. The collaboration combines IIT (ISM) Dhanbad’s strong research capabilities with Simon India’s engineering, project execution, and industrial deployment expertise. Together, the partners aim to translate scientific research into scalable, commercially viable technologies for the industry.
Focus on Catalysts and Process Innovation
A major focus of the partnership will be the development of advanced catalysts and process technologies, which play a critical role in improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enabling large-scale adoption of sustainable solutions. These innovations will support emerging and critical sectors such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), circular economy solutions, energy efficiency technologies and biomass-to-value-added chemicals. By focusing on these areas, the collaboration aims to strengthen India’s transition toward sustainable and low-carbon industrial processes.
Expanding Scope to Waste Utilization and Rare Earth Recovery
Beyond catalyst development, the partnership will also explore waste utilization technologies, rare earth recovery, new fertilizer grades, and chemical derivatives. Importantly, the initiative will prioritize scalable industrial processes, ensuring that research outcomes can be efficiently translated into real-world manufacturing and industrial applications.
Joint Research, Pilot Projects and Technology Commercialization
The MoU establishes a framework for joint research and development programs, along with pilot and demonstration projects designed to validate technologies at a practical scale. In addition, the collaboration will promote joint grant proposals, including international research initiatives, technology transfer and commercialization pathways and intellectual property development aligned with industrial priorities. Both institutions will work together to bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial deployment, moving technologies from proof-of-concept to engineering design and pilot-scale implementation.
Strengthening Industry–Academia Talent Development
Another important objective of the partnership is to build a strong pipeline of industry-ready talent. To achieve this, the initiative will support faculty–industry exchange programs, student internships and industrial training and mentorship programs for researchers and innovators. Such efforts will help equip young engineers and scientists with practical skills needed for real-world industrial challenges.
Industry Leaders Highlight the Importance of Collaboration
Athar Shahab, Chairman of Simon India Limited, said the collaboration reflects the growing need to convert research into practical industrial solutions. “India has a strong foundation in research, and there is a growing need to translate this into scalable industrial applications. This partnership brings together academic and engineering capabilities to support that transition across sustainable and emerging sectors,” he said.
Scaling Innovation for Sustainable Industries
Aashutosh Aggarwal, CEO of Simon India Limited, emphasized that catalyst development and process innovation will play a crucial role in enabling sustainable industrial growth. “This partnership allows us to focus on critical areas such as catalyst development and process innovation, which are central to advancing sustainable industrial solutions. At Simon India, our strength lies in engineering and scaling these innovations for industrial deployment, enabling efficient and commercially viable outcomes across green and low-carbon sectors,” he said.
Building Innovation Capacity Among Future Engineers
Prof. Sukumar Mishra, Director of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, stressed the importance of exposing students to real-world industry challenges. “Undergraduate students are the most important group because they are at a stage where their thinking can still be shaped. Exposure to real-world problems through industry interaction is essential for building meaningful innovation capacity. The next generation must be trained not just to study technologies, but to build them,” he said.
Bridging the Gap Between Research and Industry
Dr. Fawzia Tarannum, Lead – Climate Tech and Sustainability at Simon India Limited, pointed out that many innovations remain confined to academic publications rather than reaching industry. “Our innovation journey often stops at publications. Unless research moves beyond papers into products and processes, its true value remains unrealized. We need integrated pathways where academia and industry co-create solutions from the outset,” she said.
Accelerating Sustainable Industrial Technologies in India
Overall, the partnership between Simon India and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad reflects a broader push to strengthen industry–academia collaboration in India. As per the press release, by combining research excellence with engineering and industrial expertise, the initiative aims to accelerate the development, scale-up, and commercialization of sustainable process technologies, supporting India’s progress toward green industrial growth and low-carbon innovation.
