Senior state official holds extensive discussion with UK-Qatar firm on algae photobioreactor technology that converts industrial CO₂ emissions into commercial products; Maharashtra positions itself as destination for green industrial innovation
MUMBAI, June 2026 :
On the sidelines of SUMFLEX 2026, Mumbai’s annual nutraceutical and functional ingredients summit, Maharashtra’s senior foreign investment official held an extensive discussion with the director of a United Kingdom and Qatar-based biotechnology company specialising in algae-based carbon capture and circular economy solutions — a meeting that underscores the state government’s growing appetite for next-generation sustainability technologies.
Dr. Rajesh Gawande, IFS, Secretary (FDI & Diaspora) and Chief of Protocol, Government of Maharashtra, met Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani, Director and Chief Financial Officer of Algae Products International Ltd. The two sides explored potential opportunities for deploying the company’s proprietary photobioreactor technology within Maharashtra’s industrial landscape.
Technology at the Centre of Discussions
Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani presented Algae Products International’s core technology platform, which uses algae cultivated in photobioreactors to capture carbon dioxide directly from industrial emission sources. The system is designed to simultaneously mitigate other industrial pollutants while converting the captured biomass into valuable commercial products — a model that combines environmental compliance with economic value creation.
The technology is reported to be operational in industrial environments in the United Kingdom, and the company is actively evaluating global expansion opportunities. Maharashtra, with its dense industrial base, well-established port connectivity, and proactive investment facilitation framework, emerged as a potential candidate for technology deployment during the discussions.
Dr. Gawande outlined Maharashtra’s investment ecosystem, covering the state’s industrial policies, sustainability goals, ease-of-doing-business reforms, and the institutional support available for proposals aligned with the state’s strategic priorities. He indicated that qualified proposals consonant with Maharashtra’s industrial and environmental policy framework would receive appropriate government attention.
Maharashtra’s Green Investment Push
The meeting reflects a broader strategic orientation adopted by the Maharashtra government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, which has placed sustainable industrialisation at the centre of the state’s long-term development agenda.
Maharashtra has established a dedicated FDI & Diaspora Department — an institutional first in India — to proactively identify, attract, and facilitate strategic global investments. Dr. Rajesh Gawande, deputed from the Indian Foreign Service to the state government specifically for FDI facilitation, is among the first IFS officers to be assigned to a state-level foreign investment role in the country.
The state’s development blueprint, articulated under Viksit Maharashtra 2047, includes ambitious targets for green energy transition, carbon reduction, climate-resilient manufacturing, and the creation of high-value innovation ecosystems. India’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 has further created a policy environment in which state governments increasingly compete to attract sustainability-oriented investments.
Circular Economy and Commercial Viability
A key feature of the Algae Products International model is its dual value proposition: environmental and economic. Rather than treating carbon capture purely as a compliance cost, the company’s approach converts captured industrial CO₂ into algal biomass, subsequently processed into commercial ingredients — with potential applications in nutraceuticals, animal feed, biofuels, and biochemicals.
This circular economy dimension is likely to resonate with Maharashtra’s industrial clusters, particularly in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, and energy, where sustainability pressures from both regulatory bodies and global supply chain partners are intensifying.
The discussions, while exploratory in nature, examined technology deployment possibilities across multiple industrial segments. No formal investment commitment was announced, and both parties described the engagement as a first step in evaluating future investment prospects.
SUMFLEX 2026 as a Platform for FDI Dialogue
SUMFLEX 2026 has increasingly served as a forum for state government officials to engage with global industry participants. Dr. Gawande’s participation reflects Maharashtra’s strategy of embedding investment facilitation within sectoral industry events — widening the net for potential partners beyond conventional investment summits.
The meeting with Algae Products International is part of a series of engagements conducted at SUMFLEX 2026, which included discussions with investors and industry leaders from multiple countries across warehousing, global e-commerce logistics, and pharmaceutical cooperation.
“Maharashtra is committed to attracting investments that are not only economically significant but also aligned with our sustainability goals. Technologies that address industrial carbon emissions while creating new economic value through circular models are precisely the kind of solutions we are keen to evaluate for the state.”
— Dr. Rajesh Gawande, IFS, Secretary (FDI & Diaspora) and Chief of Protocol, Government of Maharashtra
“India, and Maharashtra in particular, represents a compelling opportunity for our technology given the scale of industrial activity and the growing policy emphasis on sustainability. We explored a range of deployment possibilities during our discussions and look forward to examining these further.”
— Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani, Director & CFO, Algae Products International Ltd (UK/Qatar)
“SUMFLEX 2026 was conceived as a platform where science, industry and policy converge. Seeing Maharashtra’s senior FDI official engage directly with global sustainability technology firms on the sidelines of this summit is exactly the kind of outcome we envisioned — where a nutraceutical industry event becomes a catalyst for broader industrial and investment dialogue.”
— Amit Srivastava, Founder, Nutrify Today & Organiser, SUMFLEX 2026
WHY IT MATTERS
🔹 Maharashtra is India’s largest economy and a principal FDI destination — state-level sustainability policy is a significant lever in India’s broader climate strategy.
🔹 Algae-based carbon capture represents an emerging industrial climate technology with direct commercial applications that generate revenue from emission reduction.
🔹 Maharashtra’s dedicated FDI & Diaspora Department signals a structured investment facilitation approach that international companies find more accessible than federal frameworks alone.
🔹 If deployed, such technologies could contribute to Maharashtra’s carbon reduction targets while creating new industrial value chains in biomaterials, biochemicals, and specialty ingredients.
🔹 The meeting exemplifies Maharashtra’s positioning at the intersection of industrial scale and sustainability innovation, consistent with Viksit Bharat 2047 and India’s net-zero commitments.
📸 Photo 1 — Dr. Gawande & Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani Meeting
English:
Dr. Rajesh Gawande, IFS, Secretary (FDI & Diaspora) and Chief of Protocol, Government of Maharashtra, in discussion with Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani, Director & CFO, Algae Products International Ltd (UK/Qatar), on the sidelines of SUMFLEX 2026, Mumbai. The two sides explored potential deployment of algae-based carbon capture technology in Maharashtra’s industrial sector.
📸 Photo 2 — SUMFLEX 2026 Industry Discussion
English:
Dr. Rajesh Gawande, IFS, Secretary (FDI & Diaspora) and Chief of Protocol, Government of Maharashtra, engages with industry participants at SUMFLEX 2026, Mumbai. The summit served as a key platform for Maharashtra’s FDI facilitation team to connect with global nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and sustainability-focused investors.