World · India Bureau
India needs specialist talent pool for carbon storage research: CSIR-NGRI
The director of CSIR's National Geophysical Research Institute has underscored the critical shortage of skilled professionals in carbon capture and storage technology, flagging expertise gaps as a key challenge for India's climate commitments.
LSN India ·
India must develop a robust cadre of technical experts to advance carbon storage research and deployment, according to the director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research's National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI).
The emphasis on building specialised workforce capacity comes as India intensifies efforts to meet its climate targets through emerging technologies. Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) has emerged as a critical tool in the nation's decarbonisation strategy, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors including cement, steel, and petrochemicals.
The CSIR-NGRI, headquartered in Hyderabad, plays a pivotal role in geological research relevant to subsurface carbon storage projects. The institute's leadership has flagged that the current talent pipeline remains insufficient to support the scaling of such initiatives across India.
Developing expertise in carbon storage requires multidisciplinary knowledge spanning geology, engineering, environmental science, and policy frameworks. Industry observers note that countries advancing CCUS deployment have invested substantially in education and training programmes to cultivate necessary professional skills.
The call for enhanced focus on expertise development aligns with India's broader push to establish itself as a centre for climate technology innovation while simultaneously addressing domestic employment needs in emerging green sectors.