Dr. Priyanka Kaushal
Centre for Rural Development and Technology (CRDT)
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India
Dr. Priyanka Kaushal is a Professor at the Centre for Rural Development and Technology (CRDT), IIT Delhi, with over 20 years of experience working at the intersection of clean energy technologies, society, and climate change. Trained as a Chemical Engineer, her expertise spans clean energy systems and value-added chemical production, with a strong focus on sustainable energy transitions.
Her research focuses on biomass-based energy systems and sustainable rural and industrial energy solutions. She has developed and transferred technologies for captive power generation using biomass, particularly for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and self-help groups (SHGs) in India and internationally.
Currently, she works on designing affordable, reliable, and clean energy solutions for rural communities and industrial applications, along with training and capacity-building initiatives. She also coordinates the RCI vertical of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, a flagship program of the Ministry of Education housed at IIT Delhi.
Her key research areas include biomass-to-energy conversion (torrefaction, pyrolysis, gasification), syngas-based and poly-generation systems (combined heat and power, bio-SNG, Fischer–Tropsch fuels), agricultural residue valorization through biochar applications, and technology assessment for climate change mitigation.
She also teaches courses related to rural energy systems and development, including Rural Energy Assessment and Planning (RDL 728) and Rural Industrialization, Policies, Programmes and Cases (RDL 701).