R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, APR 19
Calling for a decisive shift away from conventional fuels, Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, former Chairman of the ISRO, urged India to accelerate innovation in alternative energy, warning that dependence on LPG, CNG and petroleum products leaves households and industry vulnerable to global disruptions while delaying the transition to sustainable growth.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 50th convocation of A.M. Jain College, Annadurai emphasised that energy security must begin at the grassroots—from household kitchens to heavy industries.
“The need of the hour is to encourage scientific temper among students and convert difficult situations into opportunities,” he said, pointing to global tensions and supply uncertainties impacting LPG and petroleum availability.
Highlighting the broader challenge, he noted, “Dependence on conventional fuels like LPG, CNG and charcoal cannot sustain future demand. We must innovate cleaner, scalable alternatives for everyday use.”
Annadurai stressed that crises often catalyse breakthroughs: “Necessity is the father of innovation. This is the time to develop alternate clean energy solutions that can meet needs from kitchens to steel rolling mills.”
Underscoring emerging research, he said India is actively exploring Green hydrogen production from water. “If we succeed in producing hydrogen fuel from 100 per cent pure water, India will not need to depend on Gulf nations for petroleum. We can become a global leader in next-generation green innovation,” he asserted.
Experts note that green hydrogen—produced using renewable energy—can power transport, industry and even domestic energy systems, significantly cutting emissions and import dependence.
Annadurai also linked the transition to a larger national mission: building scientific curiosity among youth to drive innovation-led growth. “Scientific thinking among young graduates is the foundation for solving future energy challenges,” he added.
