DecarbX Workshop — COMSNETS 2026
DecarbX Workshop
Accelerating India’s Energy Transition: Research, Innovation & Incubation
January 10, 2026 | Full-Day In-Person Workshop
Workshop Overview
The DecarbX Workshop brings together researchers, industry leaders, startup founders, investors, incubators, and policymakers to explore how research, digital technologies, and ecosystem collaboration can accelerate India’s transition toward a sustainable, low-carbon energy future. The workshop features a visionary keynote, an invited talk, peer-reviewed research presentations, multi-stakeholder panels, and interactive breakout sessions focused on turning ideas into scalable impact.
Workshop Schedule
09:00 – 09:30
Visionary Opening Keynote
Visionary Perspectives on India’s Low-Carbon Future: Policy, Innovation, and Collaborative Pathways
From Race to Conscious Grid: Reimagining India’s Energy Transition
Speaker: Gaurav Vaid, Chairperson, CEEDS
From Race to Conscious Grid: Reimagining India’s Energy Transition
Speaker: Gaurav Vaid, Chairperson, CEEDS
09:30 – 10:15
Invited Talk
Global Energy Transitions and the Indian Context: Lessons for a Just and Accelerated Shift
Speaker: Kundan Das, Director, Technology, Sustainability and Decarbonization, CEEDS
Speaker: Kundan Das, Director, Technology, Sustainability and Decarbonization, CEEDS
10:15 – 10:30
Coffee and Networking Break
10:30 – 11:30
Panel Discussion
Research and Innovation for a Resilient Energy Future: Learning from Global Transitions to Empower India
How international research priorities and innovation frameworks can inspire India’s clean energy research agenda, and strengthen academia–industry–government collaboration to enable technology localization and scaling.
Moderator: Dr. Madanmohan Rao, CEEDS
Panelists: Puneet Joshi (OpenG2P) • Prof. S. Dasappa (IISc) • Kundan Das (CEEDS) • Abhijit Chaudhary (Niral Networks)
How international research priorities and innovation frameworks can inspire India’s clean energy research agenda, and strengthen academia–industry–government collaboration to enable technology localization and scaling.
Moderator: Dr. Madanmohan Rao, CEEDS
Panelists: Puneet Joshi (OpenG2P) • Prof. S. Dasappa (IISc) • Kundan Das (CEEDS) • Abhijit Chaudhary (Niral Networks)
11:45 – 13:00
Research Paper Presentations
Peer-Reviewed Research Presentations (with moderated Q&A)
Presenters:
Presenters:
- Dr. Sandeep Verma Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology
- Bhanu Kumar Indian Institute of Science
- Rajesh Kumar BITS Pilani
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch and Networking Break
14:00 – 14:45
Panel Discussion
Incubating Sustainable Innovation: From Climate Ideas to Scalable Impact
Moderator: Vinay Dora, Director, Community Engagement and Digital Media, CEEDS
Panelists: Startup Founder (TBC) • Prof. Vineeth R • N. Kishor Narang • Santosh G (GCPIT) • Prof. Ravishankar Rao (FDU, IEEE Fellow)
Moderator: Vinay Dora, Director, Community Engagement and Digital Media, CEEDS
Panelists: Startup Founder (TBC) • Prof. Vineeth R • N. Kishor Narang • Santosh G (GCPIT) • Prof. Ravishankar Rao (FDU, IEEE Fellow)
14:45 – 16:15
Dynamic Breakout Sessions
Hands-on breakout groups across three tracks
- Integrated Energy Systems (Energy–Water–Mobility–Food)
- Policy & Corporate Enablement
- Innovation, Startups & Investment
16:15 – 16:30
Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:00
Closing Reflections & Takeaways
Speakers: CEEDS Team
Who Should Attend
Researchers • Industry Leaders • Policymakers • Startup Founders • Investors • Incubators • Sustainability & Climate-Tech Practitioners
Call for Papers
Camera Ready Guidelines
Important Dates
| Paper Submission deadline: |
| Notification of Acceptance: |
| Camera-ready Submission: |
| Workshop Date: 10th January 2026 |
Topics of Interest
Focus Areas: Submissions may include (but are not limited to)
- Smart Infrastructure & Net-Zero Innovation
- Smart grids, AI-enabled demand response and load shaping
- Grid modernization for AI data centers
- Predictive analytics, digital twins, and resilient grid design
- Remote monitoring, edge infrastructure, and disaster preparedness
- Sustainable Power for the Digital Age
- Role of MMRs/SMRs in powering clean, high-density digital infrastructure
- Energy storage, renewable integration, and system flexibility
- Co-optimization of AI and grid systems for decarbonization
- Policy, Platforms & Equity
- Blockchain and emissions transparency
- Energy access and digital divide
- Industry collaboration, innovation ecosystems, and startups
- Pathways to net-zero for developing economies
In addition to paper presentations, the event will include the following formats and if you would like to participate, we welcome proposals for:
- Design challenges (e.g., smart grid for AI tech parks)
- Simulations / demonstrations (e.g., Incident recovery scenarios)
- Hackathons (e.g., grid-data center co-optimization using AI)
- Panels and group discussions (e.g., nuclear + AI readiness, digital equity in energy transition)
Submission Guidelines
- Submissions (including title, abstract, all figures, tables, and references)should not exceed 5 pages in length. A minimum number of 3 pages are required.
- Reviews will be single-blind: authors’ names and affiliations should be included in the submission.
- Submissions must follow the formatting guidelines as given on the IEEE Website; and those that do not meet the size and formatting requirements will not be reviewed.
- All papers must be in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and submitted on EDAS.
- All workshop papers (full papers - both regular and invited) will appear in conference proceedings and be submitted to IEEE Xplore as well as other Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases.
Submission Link: https://edas.info/N34336
For any queries, please contact the workshop chairs at comsnets.workshop@gmail.com
Technical Program Committee
<TBA>Decarbx Workshop Co-Chairs
Gaurav Vaid
Chairperson
CEEDS
Vinay Dora
Director, Community Engagement and Digital Media
CEEDS
Dr. Madanmohan Rao
Director, Knowledge Services and Innovation Training
CEEDS
Kundan Das
Director, Technology, Sustainability and Decarbonization
CEEDS
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