Mumbai: Marking a new chapter in India’s energy innovation landscape, the ‘MC²⁺ Ignite’ Mumbai City Connect was held at IIT Bombay, jointly organized by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and the MC²⁺ Foundation. The event was held on September 8, 2026, bringing together leading figures from the energy sector, researchers, academicians, and startups.
As part of the event, the MC²⁺ Foundation, IIT Bombay, and the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) at IIT Bombay signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration among industry, academia, and startups. Through this initiative, innovators will gain access to R&D facilities, laboratories, mentorship, funding opportunities, market access, and pilot projects. With ONGC’s participation, technologies currently at the R&D stage will receive opportunities for industrial deployment and commercialization.
The event was led by Arun Kumar Singh, Chairman and CEO of ONGC. Prof. Aniruddha B. Pandit, Vice Chancellor of Mumbai ICT, delivered the keynote address. Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director, IIT Bombay; Om Prakash Sinha, Director (Exploration), ONGC; Bhaskar Chowdhary Nettem, Designated OSD (Production), ONGC; Ratnesh Kumar, ED–Chief Corporate Strategy, ONGC; Dhananjay Rai, representing MC²⁺; Shaji Varghese, CEO, SINE; Prof. Nishant Sharma; and Prof. Yogendra Shastri, COEOGE, IIT Bombay, also attended the event.
The initiative will support 30 promising early-stage startups in the energy sector. Selected startups will be eligible for convertible funding of up to ₹50 lakh, along with additional milestone-based funding of up to ₹1.5 crore, providing a maximum support of ₹2 crore per startup. The programme focuses on seven key areas: AI-driven Subsurface Intelligence; Next-Generation Drilling and Well Completion; Hydrogen and Mobility; Bioenergy, particularly Compressed Biogas (CBG); Refinery Process Intensification and Catalysis; Digital Asset Management; and other identified energy innovation areas.
The Mumbai event also featured a panel discussion and startup showcase, with representatives from startups including Sagar Defence, String Bio, WellRx, AngelBot AI, and VDT Pipeline Solutions.
Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, and Chairman of the MC²⁺ Foundation, had officially flagged off MC²⁺ Ignite at IIT Madras on August 19, 2026. The programme was subsequently held in Pune on September 3. Applications for the first batch are currently open until September 15, 2026.
For more information:
Phone: +91-11-26754013
Email: ongcdelhicc@ongc.co.in
