In a major development for carbon capture technology in India, NTPC and IIT Bombay have successfully completed drilling India's first well for testing the feasibility of storing carbon dioxide deep underground.

This well is part of an effort to study CO2 storage in geological formations like coal and sandstone, which is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The collaboration, which began in November 2022 under NITI Aayog's guidance, involved NTPC's research arm, NETRA, and IIT Bombay's Department of Earth Sciences. Together, they developed India's first geological storage atlas to map methane-rich coalfields. The drilling took place at Pakri Barwadih, Jharkhand in September, 2025,, reaching a depth of 1,200 mtrs., with a second well drilled on 21 December 2025.

Dr. VK Saraswat, NITI Aayog Member, emphasized the importance of this milestone for India’s net-zero targets, stating, "This success comes at a crucial time as India works towards its net-zero targets under the Panchamrit climate goals."