IIT Bhubaneswar has signed a multi-institutional memorandum of understanding with GRIDCO, the Centre for Mission on Energy Transition, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited to support clean energy transition, renewable energy integration and grid modernisation.
The agreement was signed during the Odisha State Plenary Session at the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, according to an official statement issued by IIT Bhubaneswar on Monday. The collaboration brings together an academic institution, power-sector organisations and government-linked energy bodies from Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.
According to the statement, the MoU establishes a framework for academic, technical, research and institutional cooperation among the participating organisations. Its stated areas include clean energy transition, the integration of renewable power into electricity systems, modernisation of the grid and development of emerging power system technologies.
The partnership is also intended to strengthen knowledge-sharing and innovation in the renewable energy sector while creating closer engagement between academia, government agencies and the power industry. The participating institutions are expected to work within this framework on research and cooperation related to the changing requirements of electricity systems.
The statement specifically identifies policy research and recommendations on integrating multiple energy vectors, electric vehicles and energy storage systems into modern power grids as part of the collaboration. These areas are increasingly connected to the operation of electricity networks as renewable energy sources and new forms of electricity demand become part of the power system.
The proposed focus on energy storage and electric vehicles gives the agreement a wider infrastructure dimension beyond renewable generation alone. Storage systems can form part of grid-management strategies, while electric vehicles create new interactions between transport and electricity networks. The IIT statement, however, did not provide details of specific projects, investment commitments, implementation milestones or a delivery timeline under the MoU.
The agreement was witnessed by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Prahlad Joshi, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and senior officials from the Odisha and Madhya Pradesh governments. IIT Bhubaneswar dean S R Samantaray was also present during the MoU exchange ceremony.
The institutional structure of the agreement reflects the administrative challenge of modernising power systems. Grid operators and energy agencies are responsible for system planning and implementation, while academic institutions can contribute research, technical knowledge and policy inputs. The MoU brings these functions into a formal cooperation framework involving stakeholders from two states.
IIT Bhubaneswar said the collaboration would contribute to the development of a resilient and sustainable energy ecosystem. The next stage will depend on how the participating institutions translate the broad areas listed in the agreement into research programmes, technical cooperation, policy recommendations and operational initiatives. No further details on those activities were provided in the statement.
