The Department of Chemistry and Central Research Facility (CRF) at NITK Surathkal inaugurated a five-day national symposium titled Advances in Functional Materials for Energy and Catalytic Applications (AFMECA) on Wednesday.

Ajay Mehta, Vice-President of Shell India, delivered the keynote, underscoring the urgent need for research-driven innovation in addressing global challenges like carbon capture, electrification of industries, and EV adoption. He described AFMECA as a crucial convergence point for experts, enabling shared knowledge to foster impactful solutions. “Collaboration is key to tackling the climate and energy crises,” Mehta said.

Kannan Srinivasan, Director of CSIR-CSMCRI, Bhavnagar, praised the symposium’s youth-centric approach, urging the next generation of researchers to adopt disruptive thinking and unconventional strategies. He emphasized the role of functional materials, molecular design, and catalytic technologies in shaping a sustainable future.

Presiding over the event, Dr. Uday Bhat, Dean of Research and Consultancy at NITK, welcomed participants to a forum aimed at advancing scientific excellence and industry-academic synergy.

The symposium includes 13 expert talks by renowned scientists from institutes like IITs, IISER Tirupati, CSIR labs, VIT, and JNCASR, along with five faculty lectures from NITK. Industry leaders will also share insights into energy transitions, catalyst innovations, and sustainable material development, reinforcing India’s growing commitment to environmentally conscious scientific progress.