IIT-Madras Chemistry Professor G. Ranga Rao on Saturday spoke about the critical role of water and energy and urged students and researchers to harness advanced technologies to develop sustainable materials and contribute to India’s scientific self-sufficiency and global competitiveness through innovation.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day International Conference on Sustainable Materials for Water and Energy Solutions (SuWatE+ 2026), organized by the Department of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences (SAS) at VIT-AP University.
MG Sethuraman of Gandhigram Rural Institute said the focus of the conference was to advance scientific knowledge and translate research into industrial applications, besides encouraging young scientists to explore alternative energy solutions and integrate technical knowledge with ethical and problem-solving approaches for sustainable development.
Vice-Chancellor Arulmozhivarman and Registrar Jagadish Mudiganti said the proceedings at the conference will boost sustainability and energy efficient campus initiatives with national and international impact and wished them success.
Dean of Academic Research M. Venkata Rajanikanth, Head of the Department of Chemistry Ramaknath Illa and others were present.
Published – 29 March 2026 0:49 AM IST
