Honouring the pioneer and founder of Indian chemistry, lectures in memory of P.C. Ray
Telegraph | 4 August 2025
“Father of Indian Chemistry, philanthropist, and entrepreneur who founded modern chemistry teaching and research in India,” reads a plaque installed by the Royal Society of Chemistry, London, at Presidency College (now University) in Calcutta, honouring Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray.
“He also founded the Indian Chemical Society — to champion the growth of the Indian chemical industry — on May 9, 1924,” said Debarshi Dutta, regional chairman of the Indian Chemical Council, while inaugurating the 23rd Acharya P.C. Ray Memorial Lecture series at University College of Science & Technology, Rajabazar, Calcutta.
“As a pioneer industrialist, he was also the founder of Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works Ltd., which is still carrying on his legacy,” said professor Dulal Chandra Mukherjee, a former president of the Indian Chemical Society.
“He strongly advocated for effective interactions between industries and academia for the growth of a robust industrial base of India.” Textbooks describe him as the scientist who discovered “mercurous nitrite”, a unique chemical.
For Ray, chemistry was the foundation of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, which played an important role in nation-building and generating employment for the country’s youth. “The Acharya was a forward-looking scientist who believed in innovation and self-reliance,” said Aniruddha Bhalchandra Pandit, vice-chancellor and professor, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai.
He delivered the first keynote lecture of the programme. He emphasised that India’s industrial growth should be aligned with environmental protection. “Responsible industries must focus on recycling waste and minimising their impact on ecological systems and human health,” he said, citing some unique innovations introduced by the Indian chemical industry. For instance, a solar air-conditioning system by Chennai-based Turbo Energy, a hybrid wind-solar mega-charger by Suzlon One Earth in Pune and an infant warmer for prematurely born babies by Embrace Technologies based in Chennai.
He highlighted “emerging problems ahead of would-be chemical engineers” — including inexpensive wastewater treatment systems, biofertilisers, and crop varieties that require less water and have shorter harvesting periods.
In the second lecture, Biswanath Chattopadhyay, CEO, IVL Dhunseri Petrochem Industries Limited, spoke about “decarbonising the chemical industry” to help India reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and cut carbon emissions to a minimum level (“net zero”) by 2070.
He mentioned that India’s industrial sector happens to be the third-largest industrial emitter of carbon dioxide and also the third-largest energy consumer. The primary source of these emissions is the energy sector, particularly the burning of fossil fuels like coal, followed by the cement and iron and steel industries. Other significant contributors include industrial processes, agriculture, and land-use changes.
“Industry must focus on carbon capture or learn to use carbon as a fuel,” he said. “Recycling and reuse of materials, increase of energy efficiency, switching to renewable sources will drive the global emissions reduction in the industrial sector.”
According to him, innovation in the field of chemical industry of the future must focus on low carbon emissions. “Carbonated beverages are showing a new field of carbon capture,” he said. This process involved capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) produced during the manufacturing of beverages, such as beer, wine, and soft drinks, and either reusing it within the production process or storing it to prevent release into the atmosphere. “This simple technology is becoming a popular method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and potentially lower production costs,” said Chattopadhyay.